A Subtle Bully

People tend to stereotype bullies as those who are loud, demanding and ready for a physical fight. They see them as people who are large in stature, and they get their way by physically overpowering others. There are plenty of these physical types of bullies, but even a smaller person can be a bully. If they do not have the physical ability to overwhelm another person, they simply use different methods to achieve their goals.

A smaller person will often be more subtle in their bullying, and they resort to a variety of threats, sometimes with weapons, to get what they want. Their partner may be constantly threatened with being shot, stabbed or having their children taken away. There is generally no immediate physical threat in this type of bullying, but it should be recognized and dealt with accordingly. If the bully refuses to seek help for this problem, their partner should consider leaving as the behavior will escalate whenever they give in to it.