psychological abuse tactics examples

Psychological Abuse Tactics: 9 Mind Games Seasoned Bullies Use

‘Want to know the psychological abuse tactics most preferred by seasoned bullies. Here are all the psychological methods of expert bullying you need to know about.

psychological abuse tactics

Psychological abuse isn’t visible to the eyes. Therefore, it’s more difficult to provide evidence of it.

Therefore, in this post, you will learn the most common psychological abuse tactics bullies use so that you can easily spot it, call it by name and describe it to protect yourself from further bullying.

Once you learn all about this life-changing information, you will be better to see it as it happens and defend yourself against it.

This post is all about psychological abuse tactics so that you can avoid it and keep yourself safe from it.

Psychological Abuse Tactics

Seasoned bullies prefer psychological bullying over physical bullying. Why? Because this type of bullying offers easy deniability.

Unlike the physical kind, psychological bullying is less evident to any bystanders and witnesses. It leaves no visible bruises, cuts, or wounds.

In fact, it can be so subtle that even you, the victim, may not realize it’s happening. Therefore, you’ll never be able to prove that anyone ever bullied you.

Moreover, when you finally get fed up with their crap and report them to the higher-ups, it will be easier for the bullies to deny it. Also, if you stand up to the bullies, they’ll be able to play victim and make you look like the bad guy.

What are the mind games these bullies use?

1. Playing the victim.

Bullies will deliberately instigate an altercation. If you defend yourself, they’ll take your defense and twist it to make you look like the bully.

If the bully is female, she may cry those fake tears to garner sympathy. Consequently, if others aren’t wise to her, they’ll fall for her lies and blame you.

2. Psychological Abuse Tactics:

Weaponizing mental health.

Also, they can use your reaction to their abuse to brand you as mentally unstable. With this tactic, bullies can easily destroy your credibility and reputation.

As a result, your relationships will likely suffer. Even worse, your bullies may then retaliate against you by escalating the harassment later.

3. quiet bullying.

Quiet bullying is bullying by dirty looks and using the silent treatment. Moreover, a quiet bully will use exclusion to bully you.

In the workplace, quiet bullying can happen through micro-managing. Also, a quiet workplace bully can assign impossible workloads and deadlines to a targeted employee.

Remember that the most talented bullies are the biggest cowards. Also, they’re the most successful actors and actresses. They have methods of harassment which are well-planned in advance.

4. Subtle Bullying Disguised as concern.

Subtle bullying can also come in the form of glares and the silent treatment. They also use soft smear campaigns.

A soft smear campaign is disguised as concern for your well being. For example, the bully may say something like, “Bless her heart. I’m really concerned about Kathy. I hope she gets the profession help she needs before it’s too late.”

And when you defend yourself against it, the bully can use your reaction as proof that you’re unhinged.

5. Psychological Abuse Tactics:

Subtle bullying disguised as jokes.

Also, subtle bullying can disguise itself as jokes and fun. When you respond to this type of bullying, your bullies will make it look as if you can’t take a joke.

Therefore, understand that these bullies go to great lengths to prevent themselves from being exposed. They’re incredibly crafty. And they commit their attacks ever so slowly and subtly.

Moreover, they will bully undercover and hide behind a veil of superficial charm, fake playfulness, and deceit.

6. Weaponizing their social status.

These type of bullies are often in the popular crowd at school. You’ll also find them in the Good Ole’ Boy clique at work.

These bullies are often able to climb up the social ladder because of their superior social skills.  Also, they have the ability to read people and predict others’ reactions.

To top it off, they have a talent for keeping up appearances.

Therefore, they’re usually well-liked by teachers, school staff, supervisors, managers and CEOs. Also, many of them excel in studies and join clubs or sororities/fraternities at school.

Workplace bullies often make themselves out to be high performers at work. How do they do this? They do it by stealing over people’s ideas and taking credit for their work.

These bullies use their popularity as a shield from accountability. Moreover, their extreme likability adds a lot of weight to their words. This is why they often get away with bullying others.

If you live in a small town, these bullies likely come from families who have powerful local connections. This is all the more reason these people keep up appearances.

Psychological abuse Tactics:

Bullies with social status may use minions to do their dirty work for them.

Understand that these bullies likely have followers. They’re too chicken to get their hands dirty. Therefore, if they want to cause you any physical harm, they will often send one of their sycophants to do it for them.

Moreover, they will often these minions incentives to get the job done. They may offer them money and social status. Or they may offer them special favors.

Afterward, the followers will have served their purpose. Therefore, the bullies will likely discard them like a used piece of toilet paper.

However understand that most of their followers don’t really like them. Most will only kiss and cover their butts to get something from them. They may hope to get a little bit of power and social status.

7. Using their talent with words.

Many of these kinds of harassers are highly skilled wordsmiths. Therefore, they’re convincing liars and have the right answer for everything.

They’re good at rationalizing their behavior and justifying their actions. Moreover, these bullies are good at conjuring up a good story. So, they’re great storytellers. You’d think some of them would’ve chosen a career in writing.

8. Psychological Abuse Tactics:

Using their social skills to bully those who aren’t as fortunate.

Bullies on top of the pecking order will use their superb social skills to take advantage of the mentally disabled. For instance, they may taunt kids with Down’s Syndrome.

They may make fun of students with Cerebral Palsy or Traumatic Brain Injury.  And they’ll push around those with physical ailments, such as Diabetes, heart defects and food allergies.

Even sadder, they may quietly bully people who are paraplegic. However, they won’t be obvious when they bully these people. Why? Because others tend to look down on those who bully those in wheelchairs.

People with weight issues, those with low self-esteem, or those with smaller builds are also fair game to these types of bullies.

Again, psychological bullies are such sniveling cowards. Otherwise, they wouldn’t select such vulnerable people to push around in the first place.

9. Gaslighting

Bullies gaslight you to brainwash you into believing that you’re losing your mind. Gaslighting always starts out subtle. However, it gradually gets more obvious over time.

Understand that the reason bullies gaslight you is to maintain their power over you. They know that once you get beyond their control, you’re likely to talk about their abuse and expose them for the monsters they are. And they can’t have that!

The term, “gaslighting,” comes from the movie, “Gaslight.” The movie is about a married couple. The husband dims the gaslights, then denies it in a way to make his wife think she’s going cuckoo.

This is why gaslighting is one of the most evil types of abuse.

Psychological Abuse tactics:

Understand that these types of bullies are the most cowardly of all.

Why? Because most of the abuse they dish out is strictly psychological. Moreover, they use these kinds of tactics because they’re afraid that someone just might stand up to them.

These bullies just might run up on somebody who will put them in their place. Even worse, they might do it publicly! 

In conclusion:

Sadly, you may have to go to school or work with these types of people. Therefore, there is no way to avoid them or to go no-contact.

 The best you can do is to see through these self-entitled, self-absorbed, and self-satisfied wimps. Also, you must learn their weaknesses so that you can find a way to expose them for the creeps they are.

This requires getting into the minds of these bullies. To properly defend yourself, you must think as they do, even though it’s not a pleasant place to be. And I’ll tell you! The souls of such people can be downright ugly!

However, sometimes it takes getting just as low, just as sneaky and just as nasty as your attacker if you ever want to expose them for what they are. Then, they’re more likely to back the hell off.

The more you know, the more you’’ll prepare and the better you’ll protect yourself from such people.

This post is all about psychological abuse tactics so that you can recognize them and protect yourself against them.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. Weaponizing Mental Health: 7 Reasons Bullies Label You Mentally Ill

2. Bullying and Gaslighting: 7 Ways Bullies Gaslight Victims

3. Psychological Effects of Gaslighting: 11 Ways it Impacts Victims

The Importance of Confidence

‘Want to know the importance of confidence and how it can change your life? Here are reasons why you should always have it so that you can stand up to bullies and live a more rewarding life.

the importance of confidence

Confidence is the most important characteristic you can ever have, not only during school to ward off bullies, but all through life. It doesn’t matter how smart you are or how high your grades are.

Moreover, you can have five PhDs and be the smartest person on the face of the earth. But if you don’t have confidence, you will not be able to effectively communicate nor interact with people. Your social/people skills will be lacking and you won’t get anywhere in life.

Therefore, in this post you will learn the importance of confidence and what a difference it makes in your life.

Once you learn all about this important face of life, not only will you have the strength to ward off bullies, but you will also have power you never thought possible. Moreover, you’ll achieve much more in life.

This post is all about the importance of confidence and why you need it more than degrees so that you can keep bullies away and be a winner in the social arena and at life.

The Importance of Confidence

Whether you choose to believe it, the reality is that other people really do have control over whether we succeed or fail in life. In other words, people are the gatekeepers to our success and if you think otherwise, you are only fooling yourself.

For example, you can’t get that high position you want without being selected for the job by another person- the interviewer, who could be the owner of the company, an HR manager, or supervisor.

Moreover, during school, the vast majority of teachers and professors are honest and grade students fairly. Moreover, they usually do it regardless of how they may feel about the individual.

However, it still isn’t unheard of for a student to receive a failing grade solely because the instructor didn’t like them. It does happen, though not often.

Confidence= great people skills= charm= great friends and connections= success!!! Great people skills will always trump smarts, good grades, high marks, and college degrees! Always!

Confidence or Lack of it is something others notice right away.

Confidence, or lack thereof, is something that people notice right away when they meet you for the first time. When you walk into a job interview and meet your interviewer, he is going to notice right away whether you are confident in yourself.

And if you’re not, chances are very unlikely that you will get hired for that esteemed position that you have been coveting. The reason for this is that if you’re not confident in yourself, how then can you expect others to be confident in you?

Therefore, make no mistake about it. Confidence is the number one ingredient in all areas of your life.

The Importance of Confidence:

Confidence is the first trait others look for.

It’s the first trait that potential employers look for in prospective employees. Moreover, it’s the first thing companies and business notice in associates and prospective customers.

Also, every day people look for it in potential friends and dates. Confidence levels are things everyone looks at unless they are so low on confidence themselves that they can’t afford to be the least bit selective.

This is why you must never let a bully take away your confidence. If another person has already taken it away, you must fight like the devil to get it back.

But how do you do this?

You do this by surrounding yourself with people who love you and lift you up. Also, you do it by doing the things you enjoy and are good at.

There are many ways you can regain your confidence. You can display your talents. Taking care of yourself and taking pride in your appearance also boosts confidence levels.

Therefore, do all you can to raise your confidence. only then will you begin to see your worth and add value to yourself.

However, if a bully steals your confidence, they also steal your potential for success and a happy  and productive life. In short, they steal your future.

Bullies are confidence thieves! Therefore, never surrender your confidence to anyone! This brings me to Ralph Waldo Emerson. He said it best when he made this quote:

“If I have lost confidence in myself, I have the universe against me.”

How right he was!

The Importance of Confidence:

Self-confidence is THE key ingredient that everyone must have to succeed in life.

Why? Because, when you have it,

  • you have better and more fulfilling relationships
  •  you are more successful in school and in your career.
  • You have more dates, friends, are more likely to have a great marriage and raise confident and successful children.

Confidence doesn’t mean perfection

A perfectionist isn’t a confident person and has to work so much harder just to go through life. A perfectionist is insecure with herself and others.

Moreover they focus on themselves than in others and is always worried about what others may think and say about them. This is why they try so hard to be, well, perfect.

A perfectionist is both critical of themselves and others and tends to have strained relationships. Why? Because they have an obsessive need to be right- all the time- about EVERYTHING!

They think they must be perfect for others to like them and covertly seek validation from others rather than looking within themselves for it. And the outcome is usually adverse.

On the other hand, a confident person realizes that no one is perfect and that they will make mistakes. When they do make a mistake, they don’t make a big deal about it and beat themselves up.

Sure, a confident person may be disappointed for a short while but they always get over it very quickly and bounce back.

The Importance of Confidence:

A Confident person vs a Perfectionist

A confident person may even have a few people who do not like her. But confidence brings resilience and she doesn’t concern herself with how others perceive her.

Why? Because she knows that she is awesome and that there are plenty of others who DO love her.

A confident person is a “proud to be me” kind of individual. She always takes care of herself and the people she loves.

Moreover, she surrounds herself with positive and uplifting people who love her. Therefore, she steers clear of the negative people who want to bring her down.

In short, a confident person sees beauty where a perfectionist only sees flaws. She sees opportunity where a perfectionist sees strife and hard luck.

There’s no benefit to being a perfectionist. You only end up working too hard to meet standards that are more than likely impossible to meet.

So, you end up spinning your wheels and getting nowhere. Also, you end up failing miserably and in the process, looking like a try-hard.

Confidence, on the other hand, is FREEING and it allows you to be you without fear.

It also brings patience, faith, and positive self-awareness. Instead of spinning your wheels, you move slowly, steadily, and PATIENTLY toward your goals. Moreover, you do it step by step, until you eventually reach them, thus, reaching success!

The Importance of Confidence:

Even the most confident have their moments

Even if you’re confident, you’ll still have moments and days when you don’t feel so confident. Moreover, there will be times when you’ll feel a tad insecure and nervous.

Only you’ll refuse to give in to it. Instead, you’ll give yourself psychological pep talks to make the insecurity go away, then face the fear head-on.

So, know that everyone has those days. And when it happens to you, don’t toil over it. Accept it as a part of being human. Also, when insecurity does rear its ugly head, either use your mind to lessen the feelings or make them go away.

You’re confident but not arrogant. You know where your talents are.

Moreover, you know all of your good qualities and bad, and you know who you are and what you want. However, you also know your limitations.

If you don’t like something, you take steps to change it. On the other hand, if you can’t change it, you find ways to embrace it.

Therefore, if you are a happy and confident person, there will be days when things go wrong, and days when you just aren’t feeling it.

So, I hope you remember that just because you are having a day when you don’t feel so good, it does not mean that you are not a strong, resilient, and confident person.

It just means that you are human, and just like everyone else, you will have down times and bad times. Just keep the faith because those times never last.

The Importance of Confidence:

guard your confidence and self-esteem as you would your life!

When you begin to love yourself, flaws, quirks and all, things begin to change…and for the better. You’ll be at peace and comfortable in your own skin.

Everywhere you look there will be opportunity. Moreover, everywhere you look, you’ll see beauty…because you’ll be looking for it.

And when you look for something, you usually find it.

Therefore, take steps to raise your confidence levels, even if you must recite positive affirmations to yourself every day. Accept your quirks and flaws.

Allow yourself to make mistakes. Most importantly, accept that there will be bullies, haters, and naysayers who will always have something to say and be okay with it.

In a nutshell, be yourself and do your thing. Only then will you be truly at peace.

This post was all about the importance of confidence so that you can take steps to protect it.

Related posts you’ll enjoy:

1. How to Build Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem

2. Bullying and Self Confidence: 7 Steps to Keeping Your Confidence Up When People Bully You

3. Knowing Yourself: Why it’s the First Step in Building Confidence

4. How to Overcome Self Doubt: 7 Easy Mind Hacks to Achieve Success

5. Your First Line of Defense Against Bullying