Relational or social aggression are other names for it
Social exclusion is a powerful tactic used to isolate and control victims in and out of school.
Groups might socially exclude someone as a display of control or power.
Social exclusion goes beyond the violence and public teasing or ridicule often associated with bullying. Instead, victims of social exclusion are shunned or ignored.
Treated as if they don’t exist, or as if their very existence is the problem, victims of social exclusion are singled out by whispering campaigns, gossip and mocking laughter. Isolated from a group, alone at lunch, on the playground and on the bus, the isolation is real and painful. Social Exclusion is difficult to spot, hard to stop and leaves lasting, sometimes fatal, damage to the self-image and self-esteem of the victim.
Here is some of the latest thinking on social exclusion:
Adler School of Professional Psychology Institute on Social Exclusion
I have a 14 year old daughter that has been socially excluded by all the girls in her class. She is a very athletic child and she attends a small school. It got so bad that she felt alone and even the teachers and teacher aides were in on the exclusion and all the rumors. We visited with the school principal and counselor after it got so bad, but were told they could do nothing. Our daughter said to us, “I could just go to the restroom and kill myself and no one would ever know or care at that school.” She took videos of the girls fighting to not have to sit by her in several classes. On one particular day my daughter called me from the restroom and said, ” I can’t deal with this any longer!” And she hung up the phone. I was out of town and immediately called the school to have the counselor check on my child. I was told that she couldn’t because she was working the concession stand and was busy. So I pleaded for someone to go check on her. so I guess if your child has sucidial thoughts or needs help don’t come between them and food! One girl in particular continued to tell the other girls and teachers rumors about my daughter and the teachers spread them like wild fire. On morning I took my child to school and she went to the locker room and just stayed there, she was right no one at that school missed her. They didn’t even know she was at school. The school didn’t even contact me to let me know she wasn’t in class, they didn’t care. So be careful when you let your child out at school, it is not always a safe educational place.