Intimidation consists of frightening someone.
Bullying is the action and effect of intimidating . This verb refers to causing or instilling fear . Intimidation, therefore, is an act that attempts to generate fear in another person so that they do what you want.
For example: “The candidate assured that he will not tolerate any intimidation from the opposition,” “The intimidation took effect and the merchant decided to close his business,” “Teachers must be vigilant to warn of possible intimidation among students.”
Bullying as a survival mechanism
Bullying is part of our coping mechanisms and it is not always a negative thing; In a risky situation, when our instinct to cheat death comes to light, we are capable of doing anything to stay alive, and instilling fear in an opponent can serve to weaken them and be the ones who remain standing in the end. of the day. All animals have this capacity, although the role we occupy in a group may prevent us from using it.
In the context of today's life, bullying mechanisms are regulated by social interaction. Societies are governed by laws , so intimidation can be classified as illegal actions. For example, a merchant cannot visit a competitor's store to demand that he close his store or raise his prices by threatening him with retaliation, since such an attitude constitutes a crime and, therefore, can and should be reported.
Intimidation is present in bullying.
bullying
Bullying usually occurs in the school environment through harassment (currently the use of the English term bullying , with a similar meaning, is very common). Certain children use their physical strength or popularity to create fear in others and inflict various torments on them. It should be noted that intimidation can occur through a look, a few words or even through psychological manipulation.
The years we dedicate to our primary and secondary education are very important for our development , since during that changing and frenetic time we live many of the experiences that sculpt our character. But we also receive indelible wounds, which accompany us for the rest of our lives, and many of them begin with acts of intimidation by our classmates, teachers, or even our own family members.
Origins and consequences of bullying
Intimidating a person is not difficult; We all have this resource as part of our tools to survive, as mentioned a few paragraphs ago, which is why it is as accessible to us as laughter or crying. We all know how to use intimidation, although few remember how and when they learned it; Although it is an action frowned upon by society , it happens daily in all areas, and that is why we cannot avoid inheriting this particular skill.
The success of intimidation is having chosen the perfect victim . Abusers are usually people with a very deep wound that they cannot heal, usually a damage caused to them by a being in whom they blindly trusted and loved, such as one of their parents; Many times, when looking for a recipient of their abuse, they first try to establish a bond similar to the one they themselves had with their abuser, although this is not necessary.
Just as the abuser is determined to inflict harm on his victim, the victim must be receptive to intimidation. When contact is established between both parties and the first injects fear into the second, a cycle begins that can end with very serious psychological disorders or even suicide. Fear is part of life, but it is only healthy and natural when it arises spontaneously in the face of an unknown or difficult to understand fact; When, however, it becomes the basis of a relationship between two living beings, it is highly destructive.