Bullying has often been associated with boys but you would be surprised to know that girls also indulge in this sort of behavior. Girls and boys do not bully in the same way and while boys are more aggressive, girl bullying can be quiet and overt, making it much more difficult to identify. There are different types of bullying and most of us would have dealt with it at some point of time in our lives. Bullying can leave you feeling ashamed, hurt, frightened, depressed, helpless and isolated. The individuals can even start feeling suicidal and think that it is their fault that they are been bullied.
It has become so common that some kids have started thinking that it is normal behavior and should be tolerated to stay in the peer group. Girls who are passive or who have very few friends are easy targets for the bullies. Girl bullies often do not leave any physical signs of abuse but the scars of bullying are definitely there on the individual. Bullying by girls is usually known as relational aggression where individuals are isolated and humiliated by excluding them from social groups. It is usually very difficult to detect and can continue for a longer period of time.
10. Encouraging other kids to pick on a specific kid
Bullying is a way of exerting control over the life of the individual. Girls may encourage other kids to pick on a specific kid. The bully will try to gain power and control over the life of others by making them dance to their tunes. The bullies usually have immense influence on other kids in the peer group and they use this influence to targets others. The kids who pick up on a specific kid are usually sacred of the bully and will do what they are asked to do so that they remain part of the peer group.
9. Deliberate exclusion
Leaving someone out from a group is another form of bullying. In this the individual will not be allowed to play with the peer group or join a group activity. These bullies will also deliberately exclude calling them to a party or a game by citing some reason or the other. They will make the individual feel isolated and alone. The bully does not purposefully invite the individual to participate with them and their friends whenever they hang out. The individual could be asked to leave them alone when she approaches to have a conversation or the bullies can also choose to ignore the individual and walk away deliberately. For instance the bully and her peer group can also start avoiding the individual during lunch term and start sitting at a different place so that she is left all alone even during lunch. The individuals may be made to think that they are part of the peer group one day and then suddenly the bullies will alienate them from the group.
8. Playing jokes or tricks
Intentionally playing jokes or tricks to embarrass and humiliate the individual are done in a relentless manner. There is usually a group of bullies who target a particular individual and keep coming up with new jokes and tricks each day so that the individual feels scared and powerless. The relentless jokes and tricks make it very difficult for the individual to fight back as the psychological damage is immense. Bullies mostly indulge in hiding things of the individual like notebooks or lunch box. Throwing away personal belongings of the individual is a common joke that is indulged in by the girl bully. They can also put scary things in the locker of the individual to frighten and trouble her. For instance if the individual is scared of lizards the bully could place an artificial lizard in the locker to scare them.
7. Inciting others
Inciting other kids in the peer group to act aggressively against a particular kid without actually participating in it is also a common form of bullying. The bullies encourage other kids to ignore or pick on a specific kid as they are perceived to be different from others. For instance kids who belong to a particular race or country or those wearing glasses can be targeted and other kids could be incited to make fun of them. Although there is no direct participation of the bully in this act it is due to their support and encouragement that others in the group pick on a particular kid.
6. Name calling
Name calling is a form of verbal bullying that is fairly common between girls. As it is mostly done when no adult (teachers or parents) are around it is quite difficult to detect and prevent. It can also take the form of teasing the name or surname of the girl. The bully could sit near the individual and deliberately talk in a loud tone so that the name calling is heard by her. Passing rude comments for her looks, religion and social status is also something that most bullies indulge in.
5. Anonymous prank calls
Bullying has become more widespread due to the use of technology as girls now use cell phones to bully others. This can be in the form of making anonymous prank calls from unknown numbers to humiliate the individual. They can also send or forward offending and hurtful text messages. Calling repeatedly and hanging up without speaking is found to be very common. The bullies may also pretend that they are someone else and speak in different voices so that the individual gets confused. The anonymous prank calls can be made during the day and night continually over several days. If the bullies are part of a group they may also take turns to make these calls so that it becomes difficult to track them.
4. Cyber Bullying
Technology is used to harass and humiliate another person by sending messages and pictures on their email accounts and cell phone. Mean notes can be posted on various websites detailing personal information about the individual. Photos that are unflattering and are best kept private can also be posted on websites. Anonymous, taunting and threatening emails can be sent to individuals to harass them at school and home. Fake profiles can be posted at social networking sites. The information contained in the social profile like name, photos and contact information will be true and this will make the person viewing them think that it to be true. The messages posted on the profile can be crude and mean and this can spoil the reputation of the individual who is bullied.
3. Physical Bullying
Biting, pulling hair, scratching, choking, hitting, kicking, slapping, pushing, spitting, head butting, throwing things at the individual and poking are the various forms of physical bullying where the bully threatens and abuses the individual physically. Apart from this pushing books out of the hands of the individual or destroying their personal things can also be termed as physical bullying. It is one of the most aggressive forms of behavior displayed by the bully where the intention is not just to humiliate the individual who is bullied but also to cause physical harm to them. At times the physical bullying indulged by the bully is so intense that it can lead to hospitalization and in some extreme cases even death.
2. Verbal abuse
Bullies use language to gain control and power over the individual. This is in the form of relentless abuse or teasing. Although there is no physical damage caused to the person who is bullied such actions have a deep psychological impact on the individuals. The verbal abuse could be making fun of someone's physical capabilities or teasing them for any specific behavior. Foul language, name calling, tormenting and passing negative comments can also be categorized as verbal abuse. The comments are deliberately passed when the individual is nearby so that they can be heard.
1. Rumor Spreading
Spreading rumors is one of the most harmful forms of bullying. It not just damages the self esteem of the individual but also tarnishes their reputation. False and malicious stories are spread about the individual so that they feel isolated. Gossip is used to target the individuals and although it is sometimes done in front of them, it is an activity that mostly happens behind their back. The rumors are not just spread in the classroom but outside too making it very difficult for the individual to lead a normal life. The rumor spreading could be about the personal life of the individual including her family. Mean things are said behind the back of the individual. Bad things could also be scribbled about her on the locker or other places where the individual's friends and classmates frequent. This is done to make her feel humiliated. Rumor spreading can happen at a fast pace as technology is used to spread it faster among peers and classmates. Social networking sites are frequently used by bullies to spread malicious rumors about their individual. Pictures and videos are also used to spread rumors and this can spread like wildfire and harm the reputation of the individual permanently.
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