Physical
This form of bullying is usually visible, and therefore easy to recognize. Think about the stereotypical movie scenes when someone knocks someone else’s books out of their hands or pushes them up against a locker. Depending on the nature and severity of the contact, anyone who physically bullies usually faces consequences like detention, suspension, or expulsion. Examples of physical bullying include pushing, shoving, hitting, kicking, biting, hair pulling, inappropriate touching, breaking objects, and taking or damaging another’s possessions.
Verbal
Using words, either out loud or in writing, is a common type of bullying because it’s quick, often done impulsively to elicit a response (and getting a response is typically the goal of bullying). Verbal bullying is also easier to do without catching the attention of adults, making it harder to detect and more difficult to enforce. Examples include teasing, name calling, threats, intimidation, demeaning jokes, rumors, gossip, and slander —all of which can occur both in person or online.
Sexual
Not everyone thinks of unwanted sexual contact or comments (both in-person or online) as bullying. It’s also often difficult to talk about as it can be very personal and confusing, especially if it’s coming from someone whom you had a relationship with or thought you could trust. It can include using demeaning words about someone’s gender or sexuality, spreading rumors of a sexual nature that harm a person’s reputation, unwanted and inappropriate touching or physical contact, sharing personal information about relationships, or posting inappropriate photos online.
Emotional
Emotional bullying can be subtle and difficult to detect. It’s calculated and manipulative. It can be perpetuated by a single person, but is most often executed by a group. Emotional bullying can be extremely damaging and traumatic. It’s targeted at a person’s sense of self, causing them to question their self-worth and usually results in low or a complete lack of self-esteem. Emotional bullying, whether it’s done in-person or online, could be excluding someone from a group or purposely leaving them out of activities, threatening to hurt or harm someone, telling lies in order to hurt another person’s reputation, and humiliating someone publicly.