Search
Close this search box.
Search
Close this search box.
Facebook Youtube Instagram Linkedin Pinterest
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Linkedin Pinterest

The 6 Stages of Bullying

CoachesParents

Content Warning: This article contains mentions of bullying and abuse and/or assault.

While bullying might seem like it occurs without rhyme or reason, it often follows similar and predictable patterns. This cycle can be brutally self-perpetuating at times and also incredibly difficult to stop as a victim, bystander, or even as an adult.

The good news is that because bullies do often act predictably, the pathway to putting an end to their behavior becomes much more manageable once we understand the life cycle of bullying.

The 6 Stages of Bullying

1. Bullying Begins

As there is so many different forms of bullying, it can also begin many different ways. Online, it can take the form of social media shaming or spreading rumors about others in group chats. In-person, it can be physical victimization at school or during sports, hazing, or intimidation. It can also be more indirect, such as with gossip and social exclusion.

The reasons bullying begins are equally diverse. Sometimes it’s a matter of ‘monkey-see-monkey-do’, as in hanging around other bullies and then mimicking that behavior. Similarly, being neglected at home can result in a teen acting out simply because they crave attention or feel the need to pass down the same sort of verbal abuse they hear at home. Often, it’s due to insecurity, and the bully’s behavior is a reaction to the threat of others finding out they are filled with fear and weakness.

2. Identifying Victims

According to the Pacer National Bullying Prevention Center, 25% of all students will experience bullying during their academic careers.

While no kids are exempt from the risk of being bullied, the favorite victims of bullies are those that are sensitive, socially withdrawn, physically weak, anxious, passive, or that have poor self-esteem. These groups tend not to be retaliatory, another reason why kids with disabilities are 2-3x more likely to be bullied than their peers. As of 2013, more than 74% of LGBT students reported being bullied because of their sexual orientation.

 

3. Fueling the Fire

Young boy being bullied by two other kids.Bullies crave reaction, be it from their victims, peers, or bystanders. And when bullies get a reaction they find desirable without any sort of negative repercussion, this further incentivizes them to continue their bullying behavior. The control they are able to exert over others also fuels continued bullying behavior.

Conversely, bullies who don’t achieve their desired reaction or who are confronted by adults and/or peers who stand up for the person being bullied typically back down and either change their behavior or move on to other targets.

 

4. Effects of Bullying

Bullying affects victims in myriad physical, emotional, and mental ways. Victims of bullying often have lower self-esteem, may withdraw socially, or become more anxious. These are the same traits bullies target to begin with, which makes victims even more vulnerable to continued bullying. Victims can then also have difficulty concentrating at school or practice due to fear of being bullied again, or due to replaying previous incidences over in their head.

All these things can lead to a downward spiral in which a victim becomes depressed and their school work, athletic performance, and even personality and outlook on life are negatively impacted.

 

5. Coping Mechanisms

Once bullied, victims may engage in a number of different coping mechanisms. Sometimes these are healthy, such as reaching out for help, seeking strength in numbers, or supporting anti-bullying programs.

But more commonly a young person’s coping mechanisms are forms of avoidance, like coming up with reasons to miss school or practice, becoming more socially withdrawn, downplaying the effect bullying is having on them, or even starting to bully others.

 

6. Putting A Stop To Bullying

As long as a bully feels powerful and in control, they’ll continue bullying a victim (or multiple) as long as there are no negative repurcussions. Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet solution to stopping bullying and it may take a variety of different methods  to truly bring it to an end.

It’s important for victims to realize being bullied is not their fault. It is similarly important for schools, sports organizations, and parents to realize stopping the bullying is not the responsibility of the person being bullied. The most effective anti-bullying interventions originate with adults and institutions like schools and sports clubs. While kids being bullied should be encouraged to seek help, seek safety in numbers, stand up for themselves, and even avoid situations where the risk of being bullied is highest, comprehensive anti-bullying programs led and supported by adults key to protecting all kids.

Although bystanders may not want to interfere as to avoid becoming a target themselves, intervening in a bullying situation can play a crucial role in ending it. Intervening can be done directly, such as by expressing disapproval, defending the victim, or otherwise changing the situation to distract the bully. In group situations, just one person standing up for another can often be enough to encourage others to join in. Indirectly, bystanders can also go tell a trusted adult (a parent, teacher, or coach) who can influence on the situation.

Parents and coaches should take the time to learn from bullying prevention resources like those at Pacer to figure out how they can best help their child. Often the best solutions involve talking with and supporting the child, and meeting with the school to come up with solutions if bullying persists.

Related Content

Loading...
1 2 … 7

Join Us

Subscribe
Shop TrueSport
Host TrueSport

TrueSport logo without icon in white.

© 2025 TrueSport | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Sitemap

Goal-Setting Lesson Video Transcript

Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, paralympian, and true sport athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshmen at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.

So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.

By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.

Body Image Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and true sport athlete. Today I want to talk to you about body image and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage, and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.

A Good Sport Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. There are three things I’d like you to know. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character.

I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.

I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.

What Kind of Coach Do You Want to Be? Video Transcript

Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.

You have the ability to affect even deeper change, to take what’s in your hands and do something even more extraordinary. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most. There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both.

I’m Edwin Moses, and the lessons I’ve learned through sport have challenged me, guided me, and shaped my life forever. What kind of coach do you want to be?

THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.

At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.

When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.