Bullying 
 
 
Bullying may be defined as a persistent,  deliberate attempt to hurt or humiliate someone.

There may sometimes be misunderstandings about the meaning of the  term‘bullying’: one-off incidents, may be very serious and must always  be dealt with but do not really fall within the definition of ‘bullying’  which must be persistent. The information here has been prepared for the  victims of bullying. However, the “bully” him/herself will also benefit from  therapy by addressing the need for them to bully others and other issues. If  you are or have been reasonably accused of bullying then you may benefit from seeking therapy.

Types of bullying 

There are various types of bullying, but most have three things in common: 
 
1. It is deliberately hurtful behaviour. 
2. It is repeated over time. 
3. There is an imbalance of power or even a perceived imbalance, which makes  it hard for those being bullied to defend themselves.

Bullying may take various forms, including:

Physical  e.g. kicking, hitting, pushing, intimidating behaviour or interference with  personal property 

Verbal/Psychological  e.g. threats, taunts, shunning/ostracism, name-calling/verbal abuse or  spreading of rumours

Racist Bullying  e.g. physical, verbal, written, on-line or text abuse or ridicule based on  differences of race, colour, ethnicity, nationality, culture or language 

Faith-based Bullying  e.g. negative stereotyping, name-calling or ridiculing based on religion 

Sexist Bullying e.g. use of sexist language or negative stereotyping based on gender 

Sexual Bullying  e.g. unwanted/inappropriate physical contact or sexual innuendo 

Homophobic Bullying e.g. name-calling, innuendo or negative stereotyping based on sexual  orientation or use of homophobic language 
 
Disability Bullying  e.g. name-calling, innuendo, negative stereotyping or excluding from activity  based on disability or learning
difficulties 

Gifted/Talented Bullying  e.g. name-calling, innuendo, ostracism or negative peer pressure based on  high levels of ability or effort 
 
Cyber Bullying  e.g. abuse on-line or via text message, interfering with electronic files,  setting up or promoting inappropriate websites and inappropriate sharing of  images from webcams/mobile phones  


Effective therapy after bullying for the victim should include:

Affirmation that you have been abused, that you are a  damaged person and that you are not to blame for the bullying

 Validation of your experiences

Help in dealing with any traumatic memories so that they no longer control you or take over your life


Help in understanding and managing any post-traumatic symptoms you may be suffering


Help in overcoming fears and anxieties - but without  pressure to tackle things before you are ready and willing to do so