Bullying. It’s just horrible. It doesn’t matter whether you are a child or a teen or a grown up, being picked on for whatever reason sucks. As humans, all we want is to be liked and respected for who we are, and anything that undermines that makes us feel terrible.
It makes us doubt ourselves, and our sense of self-worth, even if we aren’t old enough to understand that that is what’s happening. Being bullied, whether it is verbally, emotionally or physically is truly awful, and sadly, is something that many of us will experience at some time or another.
Bullying is something that I have experienced in my life, which is why I am supporting anti-bullying week, which launches today. Have a look at the film that I have done with The Diana Award, a government charity set up to continue the legacy of Princess Diana, who in their own words, want to “empower young people to change the world”. One of the ways they do this is through their Anti-Bullying Programme, and I am proud to have added my name and my story to that by recording a short film; this is it… https://back2school.antibullyingpro.com/
WHAT IS BULLYING?
Bullying is repeated negative behaviour that is intended to make others feel upset, uncomfortable or unsafe.
Verbal bullying is the repeated negative use of speech, sign language, or verbal gestures to intentionally hurt others e.g. using hurtful words, discriminatory or offensive language, swear words.
Indirect bullying is the repeated negative use of actions, which are neither physical nor verbal, to intentionally hurt others e.g. spreading rumours, purposefully excluding another person, damaging or stealing someone’s property, and cyberbullying.
Physical bullying is the repeated negative use of body contact to intentionally hurt others e.g. kicking, punching, slapping, inappropriate touching, and spitting.
Cyberbullying is the repeated negative use of technology to intentionally hurt others e.g. posting unwanted pictures or messages, accessing another person’s account without permission, creating fake accounts to impersonate or harass someone, and sharing other people’s private information online.
HOW CAN I SPREAD THE ANTI-BULLYING MESSAGE?
Stand up for others - You can help someone else through offering support when they are going through a tough time. We all have a part to play in ending bullying and you can help realise that dream.
Raise awareness – You can talk about bullying with your peers to raise awareness of how to tackle bullying and to support each other. The best way to instigate social change is to be brave enough to tackle issues in a productive and transparent manner.
Be a role model for others – You can demonstrate how we should all be treated by treating other people with kindness and encouraging others to do the same.
Report – You can report bullying behaviour even if it isn't aimed with you. You can do this by telling a supervisor, or if it has happened online, reporting through the social network. Information on how to do this can be found on social networks safety centres.
More support – Make sure you talk to someone who you can trust. It’s so important to identify your support network, the people in your life or support services that you know will care about you and give you the support that you need, whether that is inside or outside of work.
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