Counselling » BULLYING

Bullying is when someone is repeatedly picked on or treated unfairly by another person or group of people. It usually involves emotional or physical harm and may happen in school, in youth groups, in the home or over the internet.
Bullying often happens when adults aren’t around, but can just as easily happen when they are. The adults may simply not know what is going on because it is kept hidden.
Sometimes adults can bully young people or children. This is very difficult, because we expect adults to be fair but, unfortunately, some adults are not.(Barnardos)

bullying in the workplace

Bullying is repeated inappropriate behaviour that undermines your right to dignity at work. It can be done by one or more persons and it is aimed at an individual or a group to make them feel inferior to other people. Bullying can be verbal bullying, physical bullying or cyber bullying which is carried out on the internet or mobile phones, through social networking sites, email and texts. It can take many different forms such as:

Social exclusion and isolation
Damaging someone’s reputation by gossip or rumours
Intimidation
Aggressive or obscene language
Repeated requests with impossible tasks or targets

Citizens Information

CAN YOU RECOGNISE IF YOUR CHILD IS BEING BULLIED

Unless your child tells you about bullying — or has visible bruises or injuries — it can be difficult to figure out if it's happening.

But there are some warning signs. Parents might notice kids acting differently or seeming anxious, or not eating, sleeping well, or doing the things they usually enjoy. When kids seem moodier or more easily upset than usual, or when they start avoiding certain situations (like taking the bus to school), it might be because of a bully.

Let your kids know that if they're being bullied or harassed — or see it happening to someone else — it's important to talk to someone about it, whether it's you, another adult (a teacher, school counselor, or family friend), or a sibling. (Kids Health)

what to do if my child is the bully

If it's your child who's the bully, chances are you'll find out through a teacher or fellow parent. It can be shattering as a parent to hear something like this about your child, but it's vital that you act rationally and immediately because while the victims of bullying can grow up to have lifelong issues, so can the perpetrators.

According to research, children who are bullies are at risk of developing long-term problems with antisocial behaviour and have a higher risk of engaging in workplace harassment, child abuse, sexual harassment and substance abuse in later life. Some statistics suggest that even half of kids who bully have been bullied themselves. There are ways to make change.

Kidspot

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD IS BEING BULLIED

If your child tells you about being bullied, listen calmly and offer comfort and support. Kids are often reluctant to tell adults about bullying because they feel embarrassed and ashamed that it's happening, or worry that their parents will be disappointed, upset, angry, or reactive.

Sometimes kids feel like it's their own fault, that if they looked or acted differently it wouldn't be happening. Sometimes they're scared that if the bully finds out that they told, it will get worse. Others are worried that their parents won't believe them or do anything about it. Or kids worry that their parents will urge them to fight back when they're scared to.

Praise your child for doing the right thing by talking to you about it. Remind your child that he or she isn't alone — a lot of people get bullied at some point. Emphasize that it's the bully who is behaving badly — not your child. Reassure your child that you will figure out what to do about it together. (Kids Health)