TITLE OF THE STUDY

Verbal Bullying- A study of psychological impact to student

A Research Paper Presented to the City of Bacoor

NationalHighschool – Georgetown Annex

In partial fulfilment of the Requirements

for English 10

by:

GROUP 1

Name of the members

(Alphabetical Order)

March 2019
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND THE REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 What is Verbal Bullying?

Verbal bullying is a global problem that affect emotional, social, and physical well being
of mostly school-age children worldwide and some working adults that affects either bullies or
victims, and those who attended interpersonal violence. (Alison, 2016) Verbal Bullying is a
type of bullying wherein, no physical contact is involved while violating an individual’s
emotional evaluation. Both boys and girls are equally present in here. Verbal bullying consists
of embarrassing, insulting, or name calling at the victim.

In this generation a lot of people specially teenagers have suffered from verbal bullying.
It can happen in school or social media and can be as harmful as physical bullying. Moreover,
victims of verbal bullying tends to suffer from emotional and psychological effects. The words
they use can be as powerful as actions. The bullies uses insulting words to mock, embarrass,
or criticize another person. (Robichaud, 2017)

1.1.2 Consequences of Verbal Bullying

Correspondingly, they will hesitate to fully live in the movement due to the lack of
assurance that their happiness won’t be for a long time but only temporary. Now, verbal
abuse is one thing but when it overlaps with emotional abuse, it turns to a much difficult
situation, because no person can cope with their emotions. Overthinking will be inevitable and
eventually after experiencing a lot of mental abuse, the victim will suffer from lowering their
own self esteem and change their way of thinking that they will only achieve peace at a certain
period of time. (Holly, n.d)

​1.1.3 Purpose of the study

The purpose of this research is for readers to know how to handle and prevent this kind
of issue and how to minimize the increase of victims as well as to spread awareness on how
verbal bullying affect its victims.
1.2 Background of the Study

1.2.1 What is verbal bullying?

Verbal Bullying is a phenomenon where the power of words are used on a particular
person, a type of bullying where in no physical contact is involved while violating an
individual's emotional evaluation; the most common type of violence in school is verbal
bullying. Both boys and girls are equally present in here. Verbal bullying are consists of the
following, embarassing each other, name calling, or in short insulting their victim. Unlike
physical bullying, the effects of verbal bullying is harder to recognize nonetheless avoid. In
addition to that, there are some reasons why teens may become victims of verbal bullying.
These includes the different interest, hobbies, characteristics, some victims are even the best
students in class. (Daljevic, 2014)

1.2.1 What is difference between teasing and verbal bullying?

Garrett (2003) states that the feelings of the recipient will be different depending on the
action made. The objective of teasing is for fun that, unknown to those who do it, makes other
children feel bad. (as cited in Anderson, 2007)

Usually, teasing is inoffensive. But when it is done intentionally to hurt someone's

feelings, it can lead to bullying. Teasing can be a way of social communication. It can be
positive if it is done in the right way. But verbal bullying is different. Their goals is to hurt
someone or embarass the victim and to make them feel better. (Kay, n.d.)

1.2.2 Characteristics of bullies and the victims

Bullies (Morin, 2018) Victims (Thill, 2018)

● Impulsive ● Act submissively and ​anxiously

● Lacks empathy ● Lack of assertiveness

● Controlling ● Low peer acceptance

● Easily frustrated/ Annoyed ● Different in some way

● Blames a victim​ for his own behavior ● Physically weak

● Boys (Physically stronger) ● Overprotective parents

● Girls (Popular)
1.3 Review of Related Literature

1.3.1 Local Studies

● Girls are being victims as we are all prone to bullying. These may the girls be the
bullies or the bullied. In girls, we can see verbal bullying everywhere. From spreading
fake news in school or in the internet to one on one bashing of someone's self
confidence. Bullying affects everyone differently. With some having worst coping
experience than others. (Evaristo, 2013)

● A psychiatrist said that bullying the bully is wrong, this was after the incident of
a junior highschool student went viral on social media when he was caught bullying
another student using physical and verbal abuse. It triggered intense comments online
and offline. A student from ateneo jhs was caught in another video where he was
bullying his peers making him say "bobo ako" (I am dumb) in comfort room. (Philstar,
2018)

● Verbal abuse is the most popular way of violence nowadays. Experienced by

students in all levels, said Saguisag. It includes being shouted at, cursed, teased or
humiliated. Saguisag said that children often experience violence from their peers or
school personnel. He explained that using physical and verbal abuse as discpline
should be stopped. Salustiano Jimenez, Assistany superintendent of the Deped cebu
city district, starts encouraging the parents of the victims to file a formal complaint
about the issue. (Borromeo, 2010)

1.3.2 Foreign Studies

● The University of Turku, supported by the government, have developed an

anti-bullying strategy known as KiVa. 95% of state-funded school is now implementing
this. (Ratcliffe, 2013)

● America is now leading in examining the connections between mental health and
bullying. Together with American Psychological Association, they are now researching
both the wellbeing of the bullies and the victims. (Ratcliffe, 2013)

● After being asked which bullying caused the most damaged. The 36% of the
respondents answered verbal bullying. 31% for Cyber Bullying. Some of the 25% stated
social and rational bullying. And the rest of the 19% ended up with physical bullying.
(“Students believe verbal abuse is biggest bullying problem in schools,” 2015)
1.4 Statement of the Problem

This study deals with the psychological impact of verbal bullying to the students.
Specifically, this paper attempts to answer the following questions:

● What is verbal bullying?

● What is psychological impact to the victims of verbal bullying?
● What are the ways on how to reduce verbal bullying?

1.5 Objectives of the Study

The specific goals of the study are:

● To define verbal bullying

● To determine the psychological impact to the victims
● To identify the ways on how to reduce verbal bullying

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study aims to determine the psychological impact of verbal bullying to the

Students. This study will help them to cope up from the effects of verbal bullying. Thus, this
paper is significant to the following:
● Students (Victims) – they will know now how to deal with bullies and the effects they
might have.
● Students (Bullies) – so they will know the consequences of their actions
● Teachers – so they know what to do if their students are having/experiencing verbal
bullying.

1.7 Scope and delimitation

The respondents of the study are the Grade 10 students. This research is limited to the
psychological impact of verbal bullying to the students.

1.8 Definition of Terms

● Psychological is a study relating to the mind.

● Name calling is the act of using offensive names to insult someone.

● Mock is an action of laughing or making fun of someone/something especially by

copying an action or a way of behaving or speaking.

● Inevitable is something that is sure to happen.

● Phenomenon is something (such as an interesting fact or event) that can be observed

and studied and that typically is unusual or difficult to understand or explain fully.

● Impulsive is an act of doing things or tending to do things suddenly and without careful
thought.

● Submissive is an act of willingness to obey someone else.

● Anxious is a feeling of being afraid or nervous especially about what may happen.

● Assertive is a feeling of being confident in behaviour or style.

CHAPTER 2
METHODOLOGY
2.1 R​esearch Design

This research followed a qualitative design, a qualitative research

design is used to understand underlying reasons, opinions and

motivations (Defranzo, 2011) The study used is a semi-structure done

 on one interview to gather data.

2.2 Population and Sampling

This study has a total of 10 respondents who are teenagers in

Molino 4 area. The respondents were chosen through convenient

sampling.

2.3 Respondents of the Study

This study has a total of 10 respondents. They are all female. One

of the respondents is a grade 12 student. Seven are from grade 10 and

2 are in college.

2.4 Research Instrument

​In order to gather data the researchers brainstorm for different

Interview questions regarding their topic. They gave ideas and

Compared 6 questions. They asked for the approval of their research

Adviser. While gathering data, they used questionnaires, tape recorders

and camera.

2.5 Data Gathering Procedure

​The researchers then decided what questions will be in the questionnaires. After some

time they created the questions with accordance to their Statements of the problem. The

researchers did an individual interview to gather data faster and efficiently. First, they

introduced themselves and asked the questions to them. They actually asked people

that are victims or become victims of verbal bullying so they can answer them straight

forward in honest way.

 CHAPTER 3
PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATTION OF DATA

3.1 F​indings of the Study

3.1.1 Problem 1.

The researchers used pie graph to tally their results. The graph’s all about the question, “What
is verbal bullying?” The researchers chose 10 teenagers to interview in their research. They
are all students in different school. The choices were, “Uses words to insult, Embarrassing
others, and Teasing.”

In the pie graph the biggest percentage is 70% which they answered “Uses words to insult.”
While the lowest percentage is 10% which they answered “Embarrassing others” the research
notice the big difference of the two answers. It catches the attention of the researchers as they
notice that almost all of the interviewees answered “Uses words to insult.”

The bully of Verbal Bullying inflict harm by using insults, and name-calling on their victims.
Fortunately for the bully, they target kids based on how he/she dress, how they socialize and
how they differ from the rest of the group. Thus, using their own uniqueness against
themselves (Gordon,2018)​.
3.1.2 Problem 2

The researchers used a pie graph in order to evaluate the answers of their respondents. To be
more deliberate, the researchers have gathered respondents who have enough knowledge
about verbal bullying, so that their answers will be reliable even with close ended question.

As for the most common impact, 40% of the respondents answered Depression, 20% for
Paranoia, 20% low-self esteem, and another 20% for trust issues; Thus completing the pie
graph with 100% of Mental Illness.

The psychological effects of verbal abuse include: fear and anxiety, depression, stress and
PTSD, intrusive memories, memory gap disorders, sleep or eating problems, hyper-vigilance
and exaggerated startle responses, irritability, anger issues, alcohol and drug abuse, suicide,
self-mutilation, and assaultive behaviours.
3.1.3 Problem 3

The researchers used pie graph to distinguish their results. The graph shows the most reliable
ways to reduce verbal bullying. The respondents were still the 10 teenagers who answered the
other 2 questions. The choices they have are medication, distraction and talk it out.

70% chose the answer; talk it out, which is the biggest percentage the researchers got. While
there are 10% who answered medication and the lowest percentage they got. Still, the
difference of the two choices was big and the researchers noticed that teenagers mostly want
to talk their problems to other people.

Tell an authority figure. Having someone to tell everything and having a lookout for bullying
can be a relief. Trusted teacher is can be one of them. Try to focus on your friends. A victim
with a lot of friends that will encourage them to be a positive person. Look for other sources
of enjoyment. Having hobbies and other activities can help you to avoid thinking about verbal
bullying.
 CHAPTER 4
4.1 RECOMMENDATIONS

0
4.2 BIBLIOGRAPHY
4.3 APPENDICES

4.3.1 APPENDIX A
Interview Guide
4.3.2 APPENDIX B
DRAFTS
 4.3.3 APPENDIX C
PHOTO DOCUMENTATION