Like many societal issues, bullying is not a black and white issue. The above picture demonstrates that there are more than one way in which it can be carried out. Physical bullying, verbal bullying, indirect bullying, social alienation, intimidation bullying, and cyber bullying are the six types of bullying. Each are damaging to a student’s self- esteem and can impact the way he or she performs in school.

My experience with bullying occurred in the 9th grade, when I was a Freshman on my High-School tennis team. I was the newcomer of the squad and I had a reputation coming in as a highly-ranked national junior tennis player. All I was thinking about as an incoming student to my new high school was how I could fit onto the team and impact the team positively. Unfortunately, the team was not a cohesive unit and certain players made it tough for me to fit in and create bonds. I recall being called names and racial epithets by a specific member of my team and how it made me feel. Upon reflecting on the experiences I have undergone, I understand what other young students might be going through, specifically verbal bullying and intimidation bullying.

Name calling and insulting may be the most common forms of bullying, but it isn’t the fastest developing kind. Cyber bullying has been on the rise lately, and it is becoming more and more of a problem as information technologies and social media applications continue to take a larger part of children’s daily lives.

Signs of bullying can include

• A worsening school performance
• Reclusive social engagement
• Injuries
• Emotional distress