When a parent or teacher encounters bullying, it is essential to be able to recognize and understand the different types of bullies. This is important because it increases the adult’s chances to effectively decrease some individual behaviors and understand the reasoning behind said behaviors.
These are the most common types of bullies:
Consequential Type of Bullies
Consequential bullies are those who are being bullied and as a consequence they too, become bullies. These children want to feel some sense of power and they pick on children who they think are weaker. This type of bully is dangerous because they also can become very retaliatory. If they are experiencing a great deal of physical or verbal bullying, they tend to give out the same type of bulling. Sometimes it is worse in its intensity than they received because this element, at times, makes the bully feel better. This type of bully wants to make up for the pain and anger which has been afflicted upon them. Bullying satisfies this need, temporarily.
The popular types
Popular bully use their popularity to make others feel bad. Popular bullies are arrogant, condescending and overly confident. These types of bullies have an entourage of followers who want to be like them. Popular bullies have a sense of entitlement which may come from their physicality or socio -economic status. Sometime these types of bullies are the head cheerleader or star quarterback. The people who follow them put up with the bulling behaviors of others because they would rather be accepted than to be bullied. Popular type of bullying boast about how much control they have over their victims. They like to humiliate, push books out of victim’s hands and throw them against lockers, for example.
Serial Bullies
Serial types of bullies are manipulative and very sly. On the outside, they seem very sweet, cooperative and kind around adults or authority figures. Behind the scenes there is a very dark side. They use the appearance of being sweet to manipulate situations around them and appear innocent. Serial type of bullies enjoying causing pain emotionally, as it leave no physical marks and is harder to prove. When a child is faced with a serial type of bully, the child finds it difficult to tell an adult because they do not feel anyone will believe them. This is primarily because this type of bully is very skilled in hiding the bullying behaviors.
Bullies that are in groups
Group types of bullies travel in groups and tend to have a pack mentality when they are together. The individuals of the group act very different when they are not with this said group. They tend to treat and interact with potential victims different when they are alone. With group type of bullies there is always a leader and the rest of the group tends to follow along. This is different than the popular type of bully because a popular bully will act when they are by themselves. Group bullies do not take ownership for their behavior because they can hid behind the statement of “everyone is doing it” which validates the behaviors in their minds. This type of bullying can be very dangerous also because when the group begins to bully a victim it can escalate very quickly when members of the group egg each other on, in order to top one another.
There are many sub groups of bullies but most bullies fit within these categories. It is important for adults to familiarize themselves with the types of bullies so they can have the tools necessary to decrease new bullying behaviors. This creates a better, safer environment for all of our children to grow.
Can you relate? Follow our blog on Medium to raise awareness of bullying today!