‘Want to know all the signs verbal abuse will turn physical? Here are all the indicators you need to know.
There are always signs that verbal abuse will turn physical. Therefore, in this post, you will learn what those signs are so that you can act beforehand.
Once you learn all these indicators, you will be better prepared to defend yourself when a bully raises a hand to you.
This post is all about the signs verbal abuse will turn physical, so that if you’re being verbally bullied, you will be prepared to defend yourself. And if you’re in an abusive relationship, you can start planning your exit strategy now.
Signs Verbal Abuse will Turn Physical
You would be surprised at how quickly and easily a bully (or any abuser, for that matter) can change from letting their mouths do the talking to letting their fists and feet speak for them.
No one should ever tolerate verbal abuse. However, many do put up with it and don’t realize that words can turn into physical blows.
here’s a scenario you’ll probably recognize
Bullying always escalates. Always. For instance, bullies have been verbally abusing you for quite some time. You remember how they began with subtle digs and zingers. Next, you noticed that they progressed to openly screaming at you and cursing you out like a dog.
They called you ugly names and accused you of things you are not guilty of. They probably shouted you down, everything you even looked like you were going to speak.
And now, they are making threats of violence against you. You’ve begun to feel afraid because you’re not sure if they mean it or not. Therefore, you don’t know when the bullying will become physical and what they’ll do to you when it does.
Understand that your bullies are still pushing your boundaries. Little by little, they up the ante to test you and figure out how you’ll react. In other words, they are seeing what you’ll let them get away with.
Therefore, they always start small. And they ever so gradually turn it up in teeny tiny increments. Bullies do this to condition you to take worse abuse. And sometimes, you don’t even know they’re doing it.
So, how do you know when the verbal bullying you suffer is about to become physical? Here’s how:
1. Signs Verbal Abuse will Turn Physical:
they invade your personal space
You can’t mistake this body language. When bullies invade your space, it’s a surefire sign that things are about to get physical. They get a little too close. They’ll follow close behind you as you’re walking down the hallway or street.
They may stand too close to you in the lunch line or while you’re punching the time clock. They may even step in front of you and block you from going any further.
Understand that body language speaks louder than words ever will. The verbal attacks were only a precursor. If nothing else, know this! Anytime a bully gets too close to you, it means they want to strike you.
Therefore, they are making sure that you are within their reach so that they can. Moreover, they are experimenting with you to gauge your response.
If someone gets in your face, your first response should be to knock the living hell out of them.
In this case, offense is the best defense. In other words, don’t even give them a chance to hit you first. Why? Because the first strike just might be the one that maims or kills you.
Therefore, to prevent a possible physical attack, the time to act is now! You must tell them in no uncertain terms to back off. And if they don’t, it’s time to strike first.
Yes! You heard me correctly. I’m not beyond hauling off and punching someone in the nose if they get in my face and refuse to back off.
However, be aware that you may be in a place where punching a bully isn’t suitable. You may be working at your job or studying in class.
In lieu of fighting, I recommend that you look the bully dead in the eye. And give the hardest glare you can muster. Then tell them in a low, growling voice to knock it off. Keep in mind that your nonverbal communication (your body language) must match what you say.
Keep glaring at them, without blinking, until they avert their eyes. Make sure you’re standing absolutely still and facing them in a power pose. (More on power poses later) The goal here is to put the fear of God in the bully.
2. Signs Verbal Abuse will Turn Physical:
they lay claim to your things and your territory
Bullies may sit at your desk. They may also pick up your belongings or lean on your car. Understand that, by touching your belongings, bullies are laying claim to what is yours. This is another sign of hostility.
This is the time to assert yourself firmly. Tell them to keep their slimy, grimy paws off your stuff! Bear in mind that messing with your belongings or destroying them is also considered to be physical bullying.
However, be forewarned that most bullies will see this as a challenge. And they will dare you to do something about it.
In this case, don’t be afraid to throw up your dukes. It’s your stuff they’re messing with, and they’re doing it to test you and see how far they can push you! So, don’t fail!
But, just as I mentioned earlier, if you use fisticuffs, make sure the time, place, and conditions are as close to right as possible. If not, do what I suggested at the end of the last section.
3. they will begin assaulting you and making it look like an accident
I call this borderline physical abuse.
Bullies will begin their physical assaults through“accidental” shoves, pushes, and bumps. They may do things “accidentally on purpose.”
For instance, they may“accidentally” run or bump into you in the hallway or parking lot. They might “accidentally” trip you or knock you down.
Or they’ll “accidentally” knock things out of your hands. They will say, “Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to (trip, shove, run into you, etc.).
And they’ll say it knowing damn well they did it deliberately. Also, you’ll know it too.
Moreover, they do it, thinking that maybe, just maybe, you won’t notice that it’s escalating. After all, accidents happen all the time. No harm, no foul. Right?
The problem is that if bullies get away with these types of games, they’ll only escalate it until it gets out of control. And once bullying gets out of control, it’s almost impossible to stop or even slow down.
Again, it’s time to throw up those dukes! Remember not to doubt yourself and what you know and feel. And you always know when something is done on purpose. You can sense these kinds of things.
Signs Verbal Abuse will Turn Physical: Like any other form of abuse, Bullying will only get worse if you don’t act.
Understand that bullying, or any form of abuse, always- always gets worse if you let it slide. Because it’s a dark part of human nature to push, push, and push further to see how far one can go.
Again, tune into your body and intuition. In other words, listen to your gut. Why? Because your gut will tell you if what the person did to you was deliberate or an accident.
If your senses tell you they did it on purpose, call it out and ask them to stop it right away. If that doesn’t work and the bully keeps it up, it might be time to throw down. But, whatever you do, put a stop to it because it’ll only get worse if you don’t.
4. They begin threatening physical violence.
This is a surefire sign that verbal bullying is about to escalate to fists. If a bully starts threatening to “kick your butt,” believe them. Take it seriously. And be prepared to defend yourself. Don’t back down and don’t turn your back on them. Why?
Because bullies don’t fight fair, they will attack you from behind the minute you turn your back and walk away.
And if they get in your face, they are violating your personal space. Moreover, it means that they want to get close enough to attack physically. So, don’t hesitate to punch their lights out.
Never doubt what you feel. Trust it!
Many victims of bullying hesitate to act because they don’t trust their instincts. They question their own instincts. “Is he really about to attack me, or is he only trying to scare me?”
The trick is to trust your gut. It picks up on the other person’s energy. If your gut tells you that the person wants to hit you, it is probably right.
Signs Verbal Bullying will Turn Physical:
In conclusion
To defend yourself, you must pay attention and trust your instincts. Look for these signs. And if you see them, you must do whatever it takes to contain the threat. And if that means hitting first, then do it.
With knowledge comes empowerment.
This post is all about the signs Verbal bullying will Turn PHYSICAL so that you can be ready for when the bully attacks you.
Related posts you’ll enjoy:
2. Physical Bullying Information: 5 Must-Know Secrets Bullies Don’t Want You to Know
3. How to Deal with Physical Bullies
While that is great advice I should have taken decades ago, the problem is that when you throw up your dukes and lose, then the bully has even more power over you.
True that. However, if you give the bully a good fight, you will earn some degree of respect, though they may not admit it.
Whenever I acted or stood up for myself, bullies/abusive partners only did it more, thus making me afraid to stand up for myself. Heck, I once got in school suspension for reporting sexual assault in high school, cos my attackers played the victims and changed the whole story.
Unfortunately, that does happen sometimes. Especially when you’re dealing with narcissist bullies. But it’s best not to back down. Eventually, they’ll get tired and realize you’re not worth the trouble.
One of the worst things that can happen is a Bully 100 percent knowing they physically intimidate you . They will view you as meek and mild and frankly when you don’t stand up for yourself you become more of the rank, file, and order. What I mean is let’s say there is a male or female bully who is sort of King or Queen of the mountain. Physical intimidation is usually part of the game and most of their followers, in truth are afraid to question it, at least out loud. The bully is counting on that.
When you stand up for yourself, a lot of times an actual fight isn’t going to occur because the bully never was expecting you to challenge them. They often times will back down in truth but tell their followers, “He, she wasn’t worth it.” Stuff like that. If they do tangle with you, they go in EXPECTED to win. So even if you just hold your on, it is a victory and if the person being bullied wins then the bully’s reputation is completely gone. And if you lose, you still gained some respect from the bully and those under him/her especially those less physically capable than the bully are prone to not take their chances against you.
No fighting doesn’t solve all problems and should be a last resort and I try never to initiate but I don’t care if you are man, woman, whomever, you put your hands on me, we are going to move some furniture. I will not be disrespected.
I”m so proud of you, Tee! Standing your ground works 99% of the time because bullies are cowards at their very core.