- Bullying in younger grades often occurs in the form of teasing. Words can hurt; name-calling and teasing, even if the children believe they are joking, can leave deep emotional scars. When one is punched or shoved, it hurts on the outside. Being called "fatty" or "loser" hurts just as much inside. Because this type of bullying rarely leaves a visual mark that adults can see, it often goes unnoticed unless the victim speaks up, or it escalates to a more obvious type of bullying.
- Exclusion or leaving another child out of the group is another form of bullying that is common at school. Exclusion occurs when a child or a group of children refuse to allow another child to interact with them. Often the "bully" will invite several others to play with them and specifically tell the victim that he are not welcome or allowed to join in. Children, no matter what age, have a need to feel accepted by their peers, and they want to have friends and intentional exclusion can affect a child's self-esteem.
- Physical bullying often leaves evidence that adults cannot miss. Kicking, punching, shoving, pulling hair, tripping and pinching are examples of physical bullying. For the victim, physical bullying is terrifying. Size may seem like a factor in this type of bullying, but it is not uncommon for a smaller child to physically bully a larger child.
- Threatening physical violence, or doing something emotionally and socially hurtful or unpleasant to another child, is another type of bullying. Threats might include bodily harm, making up rumors, or promising to take personal belongings. The victim lives under a cloud of fear, wondering when the bully will follow through on the threat. She may exist in a state of anxiety and uncertainty because she will never know if or when she'll get beat up, or she'll come to school and find everyone believes a rumor the bully has spread.
- Years ago, children had a reprieve from bullies when they went home from school. With the Internet and cell phones, bullies can extend their reach to the safety of their victims' homes. The cyber-bully typically posts threats, sends nasty emails or posts embarrassing pictures of the victim on websites. Cyber-bullying is particularly harmful because the bully has a huge audience. The victim knows that thousands of people may be seeing the photos or the online posts. Another reason cyber-bullying can be more damaging is that children tend to be meaner than they would be in person, and kids who would never bully at school are easily tempted to do so in cyberspace. No one can see the bully, which can give him more "courage" to push the envelope a little further.
Teasing
Exclusion
Physical
Threatening
Cyber-Bullying
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