VERBAL BULLYING
After The Bullying
Why you should stand up to bullying: the victim's point of view.
Because verbal bullying does not leave physical marks, it is easy for the victim to conceal the hurt. Verbal bullying can cause a boy to feel lonely and bad about himself. It can also make him feel isolated from the rest of his peers because he believes everyone else feels the same way about him that the bully does.
Click here to learn about the effects of verbal bullying (DOC).
Here is an example of what happens after someone has been verbally bullied. Watch what happens to Alex after the put downs and cruel criticism from Sam.
Think you know?
The following questions are to help you better understand verbal bullying. Work by yourself or with a friend and try to come up with answers on your own before looking at our answers.
Questions about the video:
Why does Alex yell at his self in the mirror?
- Alex is embarrassed and upset about what Sam said to him in class.
- Instead trying to control his emotions he is reacting to his initial negative feelings and taking it out on his self.
- What Alex does not realize yet is that he doesn’t have to feel this way. Sam does not have the right to make him feel bad.
What are some other not so obvious things Alex is feeling?
- Embarrassed
- Angry
- Upset
- Lonely
- Wanting to avoid the situation
- Helpless
Why would Alex think everyone else feels this way about him?
It is common for a victim of bullying to assume that everyone else is thinking the same thing about him as the bully. Why?
- No one offered him advice or tried to comfort him.
- No one stood up for him.
- People made comments along with Sam.
- HIs “worst case scenario thoughts (WCST)” were playing in his head making him jump to the conclusion that everyone hates him.
Other things to think about:
Why would verbal bullying make someone feel just as bad as physical bullying?
- Verbal bullying can be played over and over again in a victim's head making them repetitively feel the emotional hurt.
- Verbal bullying is the most common form of bullying and is also easiesr to get away with than physical bullying. This means the victim may endure verbal bullying attacks more often than physical.
- Physical bullying leaves evidence that can be used against the bully while more often than not verbal bullying does not, leaving the victim feeling helpless to stop the verbal bullying.
What are some things you might be feeling if you were Alex?
Let's take a look at what happens next in If You See Bullying Happening →