What are the Different Types of Bullying Behavior?

Bullying behavior is an ongoing abusive series of actions. It is done as a means for one individual to hurt, demean, harass and ultimately gain dominance over another individual. This dominance is a form of power, which might be physical or social. The three basic types of bullying behavior are emotional, physical and verbal.

The goal of bullies is usually some form of coercion or manipulation. The basic forms of abuses are continued to maintain a status as dominant. Bullying is usually not an isolated incident. Persons known as serial bullies will choose more than one target and possibly have multiple targets at once. The individual committing the bullying behavior typically suffers from low self esteem and a lack of empathy.

The types of bullying behavior stem from the three basic abuses. Intentionally hurtful acts that involve verbal and physical attacks as well as emotional manipulations are all part of the intimidating behavior. This harassment can come in the form of school bullying or workplace bullying and can even exist on a national level — jingoism is considered a type of bullying.

The basic types of bullying behavior include the following actions physical abuse such as punching, slapping, kicking, biting or any other action that inflicts harm on the target's body. Verbal abuse includes insults, mocking or degrading talk and any statements intended to hurt the target or make other people think poorly of the target. Coercion in order to make the target perform actions that are harmful to the target or people other than the bully is another type of bullying behavior. This might involve self-inflicted injury, attacking others, theft, cheating, telling lies and other actions that the target will regret or that will result in injury or damage.

Bullying behavior also includes exclusion that results in isolation so that the target suffers from loneliness and lack of interaction as well as organized attacks — either physical or verbal — by several people. Cyber bullying includes the sending of insulting and degrading messages and emails. This might include posting pictures or messages on Internet pages that humiliate or degrade the target.

Spreading rumors that defame or insult the target is another form of bullying. This bullying activity can include blaming the target for starting a rumor in order to direct the anger of others at the target. Setting up a target to take blame for the action of a bully is another form of bullying, as is purposefully doing something harmful and making the situation appear as though the target did it is another way to inflict social harm on a target.