Toxicity

Toxicity refers to one or more people using harmful and negative language, including teasing, aggressive threats and the abuse of power toward a person or a group. While the behavior often occurs over a short period of time, it is sometimes repeated in daily life. Toxicity is a part of aggressive behavior that is characterized by (1) the intention to harm someone, (2) the goal of making them uncomfortable, and (3) continuously mocking them. While toxicity can be occasionally physical, including with bullying, it is more common with verbal communication, especially among young children and teenagers. Different types of toxicity included physical, verbal and emotional; the toxicity criteria include revealing other people's information and swatting. Toxicity can be present in both private and public settings, and it is commonly seen in schools, particularly high schools. There are various warning signs that people are being affected by toxicity, including a person being toxic or witnessing some level of toxicity while not directly involved in the conflict.

Negative effects on victims include feelings of distress, anger, worry or concern, helplessness, defenselessness, out of control, loneliness, not wanting attention, and lower grades over time; some of the effects are also seen in those who were toxic to their victims, though many mature over time.

Etymology

Though the exact origin is unknown, with sources believing that the word originally came from the Bloxia Kingdom, the term "toxic" was first used in a book called The Study of Chemicals in the mid-1700s, and it originally meant "poisonous." Over time, as more aggressive behavior was reported by various sources, "toxic" began to be used as a reference for "someone being rude to another and a one"; it was previously used as a "bad [toxic] relationship between two people."

Criteria

Toxicity is often defined as negative, abusive, and disruptive behavior, including using harmful words and negative language, directed at another person, either intentionally or unintentionally from an another one or a group, that can seriously harm those who have experienced some level of toxicity.

Warning signs

The following may indicate that a person is encountering toxicity:

• Being more negative,
• Stress,
• Fear of unwanted attention,
• Signs of anxiety,
• Changes in behavior,
• Self-harm, and
• Suicidal ideation.

Signs that someone is toxic to another person include:

• Frequently aggressive toward others,
• Using negative language,
• Targeting a specific or random person,
• Sending death threats,
• Threatening remarks, and
• Wanting attention.

Characteristics

Characteristics in those of toxic people often shows, when targeting a victim, they show signs of feeling hostile, envy and a boost in self-esteem. According to various studies on the topic, people who show signs of toxicity are more likely to target their victims with the idea of making them feel shame, deep guilt, and embarrassment, especially when targeted toward a person that they had previously known or a victim going against them. Those who deal with victims defending them commonly show signs of getting more aggressive, where studies reveal that by that point, they begin to use harmful language, with the intention of making the victim feel more guilty for their wording. A study from Doctor Ashton Hopkins stated that whenever a person is going against them, they are likely too high of themselves, and as a result, in response, they get offended and respond with more violence and anger. Hopkins also shows that one of the most common reasons that toxic people target victims is to get attention and make the victim feel shame by themself and among others; she added that the toxicity can go as far as sending death threats.

Various studies over time have shown that toxic people deal with depression, react to criticism with anger with the intention of defending their actions, are concerned about their self-image, and get involved in physical contact more often than usual. Some of these signs may be a part of their toxicity. The most common reasons for the behavior against toxic people are that they lived in an aggressive household when they were younger, stressful home life, sibling rivalry, learned behavior, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

Types

Toxicity is classified as physical, verbal, or emotional behavior, and it is sometimes determined by the people involved. Toxicity can also manifest in extreme forms, such as hate crimes, racist attacks and among more. According to the criteria, those with some level of toxicity choose their victims based on specific characteristics, such as wanting attention from the targeted person or others, making the victim feel ashamed of himself; people who are quieter than others or are frequently lonely are among the most targeted victims of toxicity, including those in the minority group. Another type of toxicity is when someone seeks vengeance on another person who has either bothered them or wants them to feel guilty about their actions. Sometimes, a toxic person chooses their victim for no reason.

Physical

Physical toxicity occurs when an individual or group uses physical contact on their victim. Examples include punching, kicking, slapping, pushing, stalking, fighting, throwing small or large objects at the person with the intent to cause harm, poking, grabbing items and playing with them, laughing at the victim, spitting, and yelling at them to attract unwanted attention. Along with verbal toxicity, it is one of the quickest ways to detect that someone is toxic to another person.

Verbal

The most common use of toxicity, verbal toxicity, is when a person or a group of people use negativity toward a person to make them uncomfortable and go under emotional distress. Verbal toxicity can occur in either gender, but boys are more likely to use this form of toxicity. Examples included negative language directed at said victim, saying death threats, continuously harassing them, trying to get their attention, and threatening to use harm to them to pressure them into not getting into trouble.

Emotional

Emotional toxicity is similar to verbal toxicity in that, while it is less commonly used, it is significantly more harmful to its victims. Examples include yelling at the victim, embarrassing them, mocking them for their feelings (especially when victim is crying or feeling distress), spreading false rumors about them, using terms from the victim's name, giving the victim the silent treatment, and other common behaviors. Signs of verbal toxicity can appear alongside emotional toxicity.

Effects

A victim may experience a variety of effects after encountering some signs of toxicity. Victims may feel more distressed, angry, worried or concerned, helpless, defenseless, out of control, lonely (without any form of support), and, in some cases, suicidal. Victims of toxicity may plot revenge, or those who have been bothered by toxicity may troll others in order to gain attention, as well as retaliate against the toxic people with force or similar negative language. Various examples of this included victims or people "trolling" those with toxicity in order to get a response with videos revealing their actions in order to give the people unwanted attention and to be mocked at, similar to those that they had done to their victims earlier on. According to a study conducted by Dr. Charles Simpson, people who have frequently experienced verbal or emotional toxicity exhibit higher levels of negativity and fear. Simpson also stated that people who have been wrongfully banned or kicked out of groups for "something they never did" may become enraged and seek vengeance.

Over time, victims of toxicity may experience insecurity (particularly when misunderstood by others), low self-esteem, increased shyness, or fear of receiving unwanted attention from others, primarily family members or friends. While most toxic individuals become emotionally functional adults, few may continue to exhibit aggressive behavior toward others for unknown reasons and commit crimes, including gun violence. Those who witness toxicity may experience sadness, guilt, or anger, and another study on toxicity discovered that those who are more likely to witness some form of toxicity may end up experiencing the same symptoms as a victim, despite not being involved.

In education

Toxicity, while being similar to those of school bullying, can have a significant impact on both the victim and the toxic individual. As a result, victims may develop a fear of going to school (often due to unwanted attention), skipping school or even drop out, signs of grades dropping over time, becoming more shy than usual, not talking with others, being in emotional distress most of the time, or feeling misunderstood by peers, teachers and even parents. People with toxicity can cause others to be more negative toward him/her, and those who support the victim may turn against the person with similar toxicity, including using harmful words, indirectly causing the toxic people to lose friends and have a less positive reception among peers and teachers.