Did you know….
- …. ¾ of children have said they have been bullied.
- Female bullies are more likely to choose female victims.
- One third of workplace bullies are women.
I am so lucky that I wasn’t bullied at school; I didn’t see any bullying either. But then as a child I don’t remember really being aware of much. It wasn’t till I became a parent that I have become aware of these things. So as a parent what should we be looking out for? And is bullying just a ‘kid’ thing?
As A Parent – As children may not tell you they are being bullied be aware of and note any change in their behaviour. If they suddenly start getting nightmare, wetting the bed, insomnia, stealing, becomes withdrawn or aggressive. Any one of these can be a sign that something’s not right.
Younger children may give signs that something is wrong through play or their drawings. Older children may tell a trusted adult or their friends.
If you need to approach them about bullying make sure your tone of voice is gentle and start by reassuring them that whatever they tell you will not result in them getting hurt.
When you think or know there is bullying going on its perfectly natural to feel angry and you will probably want to sort the situation out yourself. Although going round to little Johnnys house and knocking his block off might give you satisfaction it probably isn’t the best answer all round. Contact the school about their anti-bulling policy and work with them.
If the bullying is via online talk to the children about their social networking and check with the various sites their anti-bullying policies.
If your child is the bully – they need to take responsibility for their actions and know that there are consequences. Suspensions from school, closure of online account and being ground for example. Bullies also need support to help them understand their own vulnerabilities and address them.
But bullying isnt just in the school playground or kept just for children. It can be in the work place too.
Adults bully for similar reasons to children and are often resolving their own deep seated insecurities by bullying someone else.
Sometimes it’s for strategic reasons like getting their own way or getting promotion.
If you are being bullied at work discuss it with a trusted person. Get support to investigate your legal rights, workplace policies and employers liabilities. Try direct.gov.uk to find out your rights.
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