6 Types Of Overt Bullies To Watch Out For At Work
Work is stressful enough, and it's even more stressful when you have bullies to watch out for.
Prathan Chorruangsak | Canva Bullying can be described as aggressive behavior that is intentional and involves an imbalance of power or strength. Often, patterns of abusive behavior become evident over time, according to research.
Victims or targets sometimes downplay the violence and damage to their self-esteem, hoping it will just go away or at least get better with time. Bullying and aggressive actions rarely stop without some sort of intervention.
Bullying is not strictly a behavior of the young and not all bullying involves fighting. Bullying, in all forms, is an attempt to steal power from someone else, thus empowering the bully.
There is no single reason why some people attempt to take advantage of others, according to a study, but those who intimidate and manipulate often use aggressive tactics.
There doesn't appear to be a single type of person who becomes the target of bullies or the victim of their aggressive attacks.
However, you may want to check out these six types of bullies and their methods of intimidation to see if you can recognize when and if you have been the victim of a bully and their emotional abuse.
Here are 6 types of 'overt' bullies to watch out for at work:
1. The physical bully
- Hits, kicks, pushes, spits, and/or intimidates
- Steals possessions
- Forces others to do things they don't want to do themselves
2. The verbal bully
- Engages in name-calling, humiliating, teasing, and insulting
- Uses sarcasm and pointed jokes to point out flaws in their target's personality
- Makes degrading comments about victims' dress or appearance
Pexels / Andrea Piacquadio
3. The non-verbal bully
- Mimics physical activity and/or disabilities of others
- Makes offensive gestures and facial expressions
- Turns their head or body away when the victim is speaking (giving the cold shoulder)
- Uses threatening body language (such as standing in the victim's personal space and using postures that make themselves look physically larger than their victim)
4. The social bully
- Refuses to talk or acknowledge their victim
- Spreads rumors or innuendoes about others
- Makes someone behave or dress in a manner that the bully determines
- Invites others to an event or party in front of the victim, while excluding the victim
- Talk directly to the victim about a social event they have been excluded from
5. The predator bully
- Engages in unwanted physical contact
- Makes vulgar remarks and gestures toward others
- Calls others by sexual names or remarks on sexual orientation
- Takes photos or videos of their victim in a compromising situation and threatens to share it
- Manipulates situations to gain sexual favors
6. The cyber-bully or technological bully
- Sends mean, vulgar, or threatening messages using cell phones or through text and instant messaging
- Texts or forwards private messages to others
- Sends unflattering photos to others or suggestive photos to the victim
- Pretends to be someone else to make their victim look bad
- Intentionally excludes someone from an online group
- Posts derogatory or inflammatory messages on social media sites
- Impersonates someone else when chatting through instant messaging to gain information or humiliate
If you recognize that you have been bullied in the past, empower yourself now. Set boundaries and become more assertive in your interpersonal relationships. You can do it, I have confidence in you.
If you think you may be experiencing depression or anxiety as a result of ongoing emotional abuse, you are not alone.
Domestic abuse can happen to anyone and is not a reflection of who you are or anything you've done wrong.
If you feel as though you may be in danger, there is support available 24/7/365 through the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-7233. If you’re unable to speak safely, text LOVEIS to 1-866-331-9474, or log onto thehotline.org.
Judy Helm Wright is a parent educator, family coach, and personal historian who has written over 20 books, and hundreds of articles and speaks internationally on family issues, including caregiving.