What is Peer Bullying?

For a Behavior to be considered as Peer Bullying;

* Aggressive behaviors intentionally causing harm to the victim's mental, physical, social, or psychological integrity.

* The behavior should be continuous.

* There should be an imbalance of physical or psychological power between the parties, and the power should be systematically abused. The victim should be in a situation where they cannot defend themselves or are too weak to do so. 

The parties involved are the Bully, Victim, and Bystanders.

The Parties Involved in Peer Bullying

 It is the person who uses their power to hurt or intimidate weaker individuals.

Who is the Bully?

In other words, the person who resorts to bullying and exhibits bullying behavior.    

Bullies are generally characterized as strong, aggressive, easily provoked, fond of aggression, and having popularity and security.

* According to research, the victim's behavior and attitudes signal to others that they are insecure and worthless when faced with any form of attack or harassment, and they cannot defend themselves.

* They tend to be weak, have low self-esteem, and have low popularity. 

Who is the Victim (Target) of Bullying?

Silent Bystanders

They are also referred to as bystanders by some researchers. These individuals do not use bullying behavior, nor are they subjected to it.

Types of Peer Bullying

 Physical, verbal, psychological/emotional, and cyberbullying

Verbal Bullying 

Ridiculing children who have physical characteristics such as height, weight, clothing, braces, glasses, stuttering, slurred speech, or accents; calling them embarrassing and demeaning nicknames; using rude and offensive language; verbally threatening them; teasing, insulting, spreading rumors, and using aggressive language or calling them by derogatory names are behaviors that fall under this type of bullying. 

Physical Bullying

Behaviors such as hitting, pushing, shoving, kicking, spitting, biting, pulling ears, tripping, attacking with sharp or pointed objects, scaring with firearms, putting a pointed object on their seat, throwing an object, forcing to do unwanted things, or forcibly taking someone's pocket money or belongings are included in this type of bullying.

Emotional/Psychological Bullying

Excluding, not inviting to play, leaving them out of the group and isolating them, ignoring them, preventing other students from talking to that person, inciting other students against them, spreading rumors and lies about them, making false accusations fall under this type of bullying. 

 Threatening and sending messages containing abusive language through electronic communication devices, spreading rumors on the internet, or sharing private pictures and information that will disturb the victim are behaviors that fall under this type of bullying. The bully presents themselves as a victim and makes others bully the victim using the victim's mobile phone or email account. 

Cyberbullying

Academic Problems Caused by Bullying

Decrease in academic success, loss of concentration, academic disengagement, school refusal. 

Social Skill Problems Caused by Bullying

Low self-esteem and decreased self-confidence, feeling neglected by friends, insecurity, introversion, shyness. 

 Sleep disorders, headaches and stomach aches, mental health problems, worsening of pre-existing mental health problems. 

Bullies tend to commit crimes in adulthood.

Health Problems Caused by Bullying