The Content of Verbal Bullying and Emotional Reactions Among Middle-School Students

Verbal bullying is often reported by students. However, little is known about the exact things that bullies say to students or the immediate emotional reactions elicited by verbal bullying.

This study examined verbal bullying to determine what specific taunts are used in bullying, how students feel when they hear these taunts, if there is a relationship between particular taunts and feelings, and gender differences among these variables.

Participants in this field study included a sample of middle school students, grades 6–8, with data collected over three years (N = 339) from a large school district in the United States. Using an open-ended format, students wrote things they thought bullies might say and how they would feel if they heard these taunts.

Individual taunts such as “ugly” and “fat” and those falling into the categories of Stupid, Name Calling, and Personal Insults were most common. Frequent emotional responses were Sad, Angry/Hatred, and Depressed. Gender differences in both taunts and feelings were few, but females were more likely than males to be sensitive to issues of appearance, sexual propriety, and genuineness.

These data expand the literature by specifying the content of verbal bullying and immediate emotional reactions to it. They identify appearance as well as competence and warmth, key factors in the Stereotype Content Model, as underlying much of the content of verbal bullying.