How To Act In The Face Of Intellectual Bullying?

Be careful with intellectual bullying. There is hardly any talk about him, but this kind of abuse is insidious. They are those figures who make use of a type of moral authority perceived as more cultured than most and do not hesitate to apply a series of behaviors as disrespectful as they are petty. Likewise, they are profiles that already exhibit these traits since childhood.

This style of arrogance often hides a clear superiority complex  that sooner or later leads to overtly aggressive behavior. So, while it’s true that there are several types of psychological abuse, this one borders on a bit more unique and even disconcerting abyss.

Sometimes we can find great figures in our society that we admire for a specific facet (be it a great writer, a great scientist, or a great businessman), and yet in private we may discover something surprising. We realized that sometimes intelligence does not go hand in hand with human respect, understanding, and even less with empathy.

Let’s analyze.

Intellectual bullying is as dangerous as physical bullying

When we talk about bullying, the child who, at school, attacks, humiliates and corners one or more peers usually comes to mind. However, we forget that in addition to physical bullying, we can also encounter intellectual bullying . The latter configures a type of reality that, although it goes unnoticed, also leaves victims.

The University of Sheffield did a classic study in the 1990s in which it warned that bullying and abuse have many forms of manifestation. While it is true that we almost always identify it as that aggressive behavior that is not lacking in shoving, punching or insulting, we also have the psychological abuse that occurs on social media and intellectual abuse.

Intellectual bullies are not born, they are made little by little from childhood. While some of the “classic” school bullies are often the result of social maladjustment, anxiety, or dysfunctional family, the intellectual bully is above that hierarchy.

Research works such as those carried out in the United States, Finland, Ireland and the United States indicate that some children who bully tend to have very positive concepts of themselves (Kaukianien et al 2002; Collins and Bell 1996; Pollastri et al 2010 ) . An example of this is intellectual bullies. Let’s get to know its characteristics.

What characterizes intellectual bullies?

Intellectual bullies are children or adults with an above-average IQ. They have knowledge and mastery of many areas and can present themselves as absolute experts in a particular discipline. This advantage, that of knowing more than others, makes them perceive themselves as superior to others.

• On average, they behave disrespectfully and maliciously towards those around them.
• They are emotionally abusive.
• They like to ridicule, make jokes, underestimate and expose others.
• Your behavior is always exaggerated. They use presumptuous and exaggerated language to show their sophisticated knowledge and thus be able to belittle those in front of them.
• They have great “verbal artillery”, that is, they are very good at intimidating and abusing through the word. They don’t need to resort to insult to hurt.
• They need to be the center of attention.
• They are very sensitive and highly reactive people. They are easily offended and, at the very least, they react aggressively.
• They have a very undeveloped empathy.

How to deal with intellectual bullying?

A child who engages in violent and physical bullying behavior at school can be educated. Over time, this behavior often disappears with appropriate intervention programs. However, intellectual bullies that arise in childhood continue to do so in adulthood. Somehow they assume that intellectual abuse is not comparable to physical abuse. However, it is just as harmful.

What can we do under these circumstances? How to handle these types of profiles?

Effective Strategies

This type of profile shows a syndrome of marked superiority, to which a narcissistic pattern is commonly added. So, instead of humbly using their intellectual advantage to promote the well-being of others, they misrepresent that gift, leaving victims in their wake.

• A first strategy is to do something intellectual bullies hate: ignore them. After all, if there’s one thing they need, it’s to be the center of attention and show others what they know. Not listening to them and not paying attention to them is a very effective basic strategy.
• We must keep in mind that they are very skilled in the use of the word. It is important not to play this game or respond defensively. If we want/need to respond to them, we must keep our inner calm, because if there is one thing they want, it is to make us lose our nerves.
• Let’s make it clear that we will not tolerate their behavior: mistreating, criticizing, belittling.

Last but not least, it is very appropriate to have the support of others to report this type of behavior. Sometimes intellectual bullies inhabit corporate environments, creating a stressful work climate. Involving all those affected to act on this figure is necessary in many cases.