Bullying and Cyberbullying: The Types, Who Is at Risk, the Warning Signs and How to Help

Bullying is when a person or group repeatedly harms someone on purpose. It can be physical, social or verbal, it harms both the victims and the bullies, and it always involves:

• aggressive behavior;
• a difference in power — the victim is, or is seen as, weaker; bullies may use physical strength, embarrassing information or popularity;
• repetition — it happens more than once, or probably will.

Types of bullying

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying happens through texts or online — email, social media, forums, gaming. For example:

• posting rumors on social media;
• sharing embarrassing pictures or videos;
• sharing someone's private information online (doxing);
• making threats online;
• creating fake accounts to post embarrassing things.

Some cyberbullying is illegal, and laws differ from state to state. It can be:

• anonymous — people can hide who they are;
• persistent — messages can arrive any time, day or night;
• permanent — much of it stays public unless reported and removed, and a bad online reputation can affect college, jobs and more — for the bully too;
• hard to notice — teachers and parents may not see or hear it.

Who is more at risk

Being bullied — children who:

• are seen as different from their peers — overweight or underweight, dressing differently, or of a different race or ethnicity;
• are seen as weak;
• have depression, anxiety or low self-esteem;
• have few friends, are less popular, or don't socialize well;
• have an intellectual or developmental disability.

Bullying others — two kinds of children:

• the well-connected, with social power, who worry about popularity and like to be in charge;
• the isolated, who may be depressed or anxious, have low self-esteem, give in to peer pressure, and struggle to understand others' feelings.

Other risk factors: being aggressive or easily frustrated; trouble at home, such as violence or uninvolved parents; trouble following rules; seeing violence positively; and having friends who bully.

The harm

Bullying hurts everyone involved:

• Bullied children risk depression, anxiety and low self-esteem — sometimes into adulthood — plus headaches and stomachaches, lower grades, and missing or dropping out of school.
• Bullies face higher risk of substance use, school problems and later violence.
• Witnesses are more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol, have mental health problems, and miss school.

Warning signs

Bullied children often don't tell — fearing backlash, thinking no one cares, or feeling ashamed. Watch for:

• depression, loneliness, anxiety or low self-esteem;
• headaches, stomachaches or poor eating;
• disliking school, not wanting to go, or falling grades;
• self-destructive behavior — running away, self-harm, or talking about suicide;
• unexplained injuries, or lost or destroyed clothes, books, electronics or jewelry;
• trouble sleeping or frequent nightmares;
• a sudden loss of friends or avoiding social situations.

How to help

Support the child and address the behavior:

1. Listen and focus on the child: learn what has happened and show you want to help. Tell them it is not their fault.
2. Remember that bullied children may find it hard to talk about; consider a school counselor, psychologist or other mental health service.
3. Give advice on what to do — perhaps role-playing how to react if it happens again.
4. Work together — the child, parents and school or organization — to resolve it and protect the child.
5. Follow up: bullying may not stop overnight, so make sure the child knows you are committed to ending it.
6. Make sure the bully knows the behavior is wrong and harmful, and make it clear to everyone that bullying won't be tolerated.

Sources

Based on "Bullying and Cyberbullying," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, with information from the Department of Health and Human Services; a work of the United States government in the public domain.