Cheating and Bullying: More Alike Than You Think
Cheating and bullying might seem like two different issues, one in relationships, one in schools or workplaces. But at their core, both are about control, manipulation, and exploiting someone’s vulnerability.
According to a YouGov survey, more than half of Americans who have been in a monogamous relationship say they’ve been cheated on, emotionally, physically, or both. And studies show up to 50% of U.S. divorces cite infidelity as the primary cause (Archives of Sexual Behavior).
👉 Related: Reactive Abuse
How Cheating Mirrors Bullying Tactics
- Exploiting Power and Trust: A bully uses social or emotional power to dominate a target. A cheater uses betrayal to disempower their partner.
- Gaslighting and Deception: Both bullies and cheaters distort reality to avoid accountability. “You’re overreacting” or “it’s all in your head” are textbook tactics.
- Triangulation: Bullies pit people against each other. Cheaters do the same, creating love triangles that destabilize and isolate their partner.
- Patterns of Emotional Abuse: Cheating isn’t just a mistake — it’s often a repeated cycle of secrecy and disrespect, just like bullying isn’t “kids being kids.”
Why Both Leave Lasting Scars
Victims of cheating and bullying often face:
- Anxiety and depression
- Low self-esteem and self-blame
- Hypervigilance and PTSD symptoms
- Loss of trust in relationships
In both cases, silence and normalization allow the abuse to continue. Just as bullying thrives when bystanders dismiss it, cheating thrives when communities minimize it as “normal.”
👉 Related: Mental Health Impact
Cheating isn’t just infidelity, it’s a form of emotional bullying.
Both cheating and bullying rely on secrecy, manipulation, and control to thrive. And both leave scars that can last long after the relationship or the bullying ends.
Let’s make an echo that reminds people: betrayal is abuse, no matter what form it takes.
