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 girl to feel lonely and bad about herself. It can also make her feel isolated from the rest of her peers because she believes everyone else feels the same way about her 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 Rachel after the put downs and cruel criticism from Kelly.
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 Rachel yell at herself in the mirror?
- Rachel is embarrassed and upset about what Kelly said to her in class.
- Instead of trying to control her emotions she is reacting to her initial negative feelings and taking it out on herself.
- What Rachel does not realize yet is that she doesn't have to feel this way. Kelly does not have the right to make her feel bad.
What are some other not so obvious things Rachel is feeling?
- Embarrassed
- Angry
- Upset
- Lonely
- Wanting to avoid the situation
- Helpless
Why would Rachel think everyone else feels this way about her?
It is common for a victim of bullying to assume that everyone else is thinking the same thing about her as the bully. Why?
- No one offered her advice or tried to comfort her.
- No one stood up for her.
- People made comments along with Kelly.
- Her "worst case scenario thoughts (WCSB)" were playing in her head making her jump to the conclusion that everyone hates her.
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 Rachel?
Let's take a look at what happens next in If You See Bullying Happening →