Bullying, the act of seeking to harm another person, is prevalent both within the school setting and within the work setting. It is estimated that one in every five students experience bullying, with 23% of those being African-American students. With the increase in suicide among young African-Americans, many more people pay attention to those social aspects that may contribute to this epidemic, such as bullying at school, work, and/or within the home. Anti-Bullying Awareness Week (November 16-21) highlights the importance of the anti-bullying initiative. To spread awareness, people are encouraged to wear odd socks to celebrate the individuality that is often discouraged through bullying and take active steps to prevent and discourage bullying.
Many people associate bullying with physical or verbal attacks; however, it can be more overt or covert. According to Psychology Today, examples of bullying include:
- Physical-aiming to harm someone physically.
- Verbal-using insults and threats
- Relational-more covert but involves persuading others to withdraw friendships to cause emotional harm.
- Cyber-using technology to harm someone.
Typically, this is associated with youth; however, adults can also experience bullying, although it may be reported less frequently. For adults, it can be subtle or overt but still has an emotional impact on our overall well-being. People who experience bullying can be more susceptible to depression and anxiety. These tactics can happen within workplaces and at home and may fit into one of the categories above, or may include any of the following actions:
- Lying and repeatedly setting up false hope of tasks that one does not intend to fulfill.
- Ignoring someone’s feelings and/or minimizing them.
- Refusing to provide feedback and/or opportunities for growth and advancement opportunities.
Bullying can lead to low self-esteem or low confidence levels, which can impact our relationships, work, and many aspects of our lives. However, we can fight back. If you find yourself or someone else being bullied:
- Talk to someone about it. Often we suffer alone when we believe that it may be considered weak to talk to someone about it. However, talking to someone reminds us that certain behavior is not normal and can help us process our feelings. A mental health professional can help with this.
- If you see it, say something. Bullying doesn’t always happen with people outside of the family. If you see a coworker, friend, or family member being treated differently, call it out. By stating what you are observing, you let the person that is being bullied know that they are not alone, and you also let the person engaging in the bullying know that behavior is not acceptable.
- Practice self-compassion. Focus on providing yourself with that kindness that you would like to see from others. Remind yourself of those qualities that you appreciate and ensure that you are advocating for yourself by speaking with an administrator, Human Resources, or a trusted friend or family member.
Bullying, if left unchecked, can spread and create unsafe spaces for all. Thus, each of us must take the time to ensure that we are creating safe spaces at work, school, and home by acknowledging what is happening and taking steps to change it.
Chante’ Gamby is a writer and therapist passionate about social justice and empowering others to live their best lives. You can follow her on Facebook at Fringefam, Instagram@fringegram, or on her website, www.fringefam.com.
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