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Being bullied is really bad, and can affect your life in so many ways.
Do you remember the school bully who pushed you around, called you names, and encouraged others to join them against you? I remember being taunted for having large front teeth, being called Sabre Tooth Tiger. Often bullies pick on parts of us we cant change. Colour of our hair, our shape or height.
Teasing
I recall being teased as a child by one of my older cousins, She would torment me to the point that I was in tears and then made fun of me for crying. When I spoke up for myself she told me I didn’t have a sense of humour.
What behaviour do you consider bullying?
Name calling
Children can experience this at school, in families, either by siblings or parents . As adults it can occur in relationships. It’’s not only unkind but its also abusive. Being called -stupid, thick, weak, fat, ugly. The list of name calling is endless. They are all put downs, and made to make the other person feel bad about themselves. Why would someone do this to someone else in the name of caring or love? They lower someone’s confidence and erodes their self esteem.
Workplace abuse
Being constantly criticised, having duties and responsibility taken away without good reason
Shouting, aggressive behaviour or threats
Being put down or made to feel like the butt of the jokes
Being persistently picked on in front of others or in private
Being constantly ignored, victimised and excluded regularly
Constantly mocking and attacking members of staff
Spreading malicious rumours about members of staff
Misuse of power or position to make someone feel uncomfortable or victimised
Making threats about job security without any basis or substance
Blocking promotion
Cyberbullying.
This doesn’t only happen to young people.
And can include aggressive texts and messages
Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behaviour.
The most common places where cyberbullying occurs are:
Social Media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter
SMS (Short Message Service) also known as Text Message sent through devices
Instant Message (via devices, email provider services, apps, and social media messaging.
1. Try not to rise to the bully, Walk away and don’t respond to them. They are looking for a response, because it gives them a sense of power. If you can hold your ground and not respond often the bully will lose interest. Some bullies will change tactics and pretend to be friendly towards you and then when you are off-guard they will use what you have told them against you and resume their bullying.
2. Seek support from a trusted friend who you can talk to.
3. If it’s cyberbullying, don’t read the content as it will only make you feel worse then block them!
Sadly with lockdown there are more and more cases of domestic abuse. With anxiety, and fear, as well as having to spend so much time together, often in a confined space can result in behaviour getting out of control.
I have copied below the section from the Government website.
If you believe you are being abused, or worried you may commit domestic abuse, please use the services on this page.
If you suspect that your neighbours or those in your community are victims of domestic abuse, we encourage you to report it to the police.
Call 999
If you are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police - the police will continue to respond to emergency calls.
If you are in danger and unable to talk on the phone, dial 999, listen to the questions from the operator and respond by coughing or tapping the handset if you can. Then follow the instructions depending on whether you are calling from a mobile or a landline.
If you call from a mobile
If prompted, press 55 to Make Yourself Heard - this will transfer your call to the police.
Pressing 55 only works on mobiles and does not allow police to track your location.
If you call 999 from a landline
If only background noise can be heard and BT operators cannot decide whether an emergency service is needed, then you will be connected to a police call handler.
If you replace the handset, the landline may remain connected for 45 seconds in case you pick up again.
When 999 calls are made from landlines, information about your location should be automatically available to the call handlers to help provide a response.
If you are affected by bullying, get in touch info@wendycapewell.co.uk
Wendy x