Bullying

Nobody is safe from bullying. It can happen at school, at work, during sports activities, or even in a family.

• Feel anxious, humiliated, depressed, sad, unhappy or easily irritated.
• Have difficulty developing relationships.
• Want to avoid school or another activity.
• Have difficulty concentrating.
• Have low self-confidence.
• Often feel sick.
• Self-harm or have substance abuse issues.
• Have suicidal thoughts.

When you watch someone being bullied, you are providing the bully with an audience. 85% of cases of bullying happen in front of a group. The audience effectively enhances the power imbalance between the person being bullied and the one doing the bullying.

1. 1
   Walk away from the situation to avoid encouraging the person doing the bullying.
2. 2
   Step in to defend the person being bullied.
3. 3
   Comfort the person being bullied.
4. 4
   Ask for help on behalf of the person being bullied.
5. 5
   Tell someone you trust about it.

A person who bullies is exerting power over another person in order to inflict physical, verbal or social injury. The following is a non-exhaustive list of typical behaviours by persons who bully:

• They generally have distinctive personality traits and aggressive behaviours.
• They want to dominate others.
• They readily submit to peer pressure.
• They feel the need to win and to be in control.
• They have no remorse.
• They have difficulty accepting responsibility for their errors.
• They tend to be impulsive and disruptive.

A person who is bullying others may feel depressed, aggressive, delinquent, have suicidal thoughts, and even attempt to take their own life. Such a person is more likely to have children with behavioural or aggressive issues.