About OvercomeBullying.org
Providing Information, Resources and Tools to Help
Schools, Businesses and Individuals Deal with Bullying
— Effectively
Most of us understand how serious the problem of
bullying is in schools and how it affects children,
but we are also interested in dealing with abuse no
matter where it happens and no matter the age of the
targets.
Less well known than the schoolyard variety is bullying
which continues into colleges and universities and
later into the workplace.
So, while much of our information and resources are
directed at school administrators, principals, teachers
and parents we will also be focusing on real solutions
to the problems of workplace bullying and its ugly
cousin mobbing.
In addition to identifying and
understanding the problems associated with bullying
we also need to find real solutions.
It is not only school administrators and principals,
but also business leaders from the CEO to the floor
supervisor who need to have the tools to identify
and deal with bullying effectively.
Bullying in the workplace is more than just a personality
conflict. Bullying is a liability to your business.
Fortunately, many managers, HR professionals, union
leaders and EAP providers are beginning to recognize
how bullying impacts
business as a whole as well as the lives of employees
who are targeted by bullies.
Those who are subjected to bullying not only suffer
from the daily torment but can become vulnerable to
psychological, emotional and physical injury. Bullying
can result in extreme levels of stress for the victims.
We offer several stress
management information articles and will continue
to add more.
Stress can cause a host of mental and physical
problems and is indicated as a contributing
factor in the development of many illnesses including
high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, headaches
and some forms of cancer. (To mention just a few of
a very lengthy list.)
Anxiety and depression also often accompany bullying.
Fortunately, there are depression
treatment options available. Depression is a serious
condition and needs to be addressed.
Stress, anxiety and depression are common
reactions to bullying. In too many cases
the victims are unable to cope with the incessant
torment and feel they have no other option but to
commit suicide to escape the abuse. Parents
should be aware of the potential risks for suicide
caused by bullying, or bullycide
as it has become known.
Parents should also be aware of the rise of the internet
and communications technology as a tool for bullying.
Cyber-bullying can
be particularly cruel as it attacks a primary social
arena of kids who increasingly live in a wired world.
With cyberbullying there is no respite
as bullies humiliate their victms 24/7/365 in front
of an audience of thousands or millions.
The personal costs
to targets and the liabilities to which schools and
businesses expose themselves by tolerating bullying
are too expensive to ignore.
In addition to identifying and understanding the
problems associated with bullying we also need to
find real solutions. It is important to maintain our
mental, emotional and physical health
and wellness in order to minimize the impact of
bullying.
Sometimes we just need the support of family and
friends, someone to just talk to about what is happening.
A good idea is to seek out others who understand
what you are going through. Although there
are many online
and local bullying support groups if there isn't
one in your area it is fairly easy to start an informal
group. We have information about setting
up a local bullying support group and would be
happy add your group to our growing list of OvercomeBullying.org
Support Groups.
We recommend that schools and businesses
take an active role in creating a bully free environment.
The personal costs to targets and the liabilities
to which schools and businesses expose themselves
by tolerating bullying are too expensive to ignore.
More jurisdictions are passing legislation
addressing "psychological harassment". Wrongful
dismissal cases with record settlements, incidents
of school and workplace violence and suicides are
just a few compelling reasons to deal with bullying.
How to Deal with Bullying — Effectively
Educate yourself, administrators, managers and staff/students
about bullying. Implement and enforce an anti-bullying
policy. Encourage targets of bullying to come forward
and report bullying incidents. Follow through on reports
of bullying with a view to addressing the abuse rather
than silencing and intimidating the victims.
In order to provide schools and businesses with the
means to get a handle on bullying we have partnered
with Speak Out Now.
Regardless of how you implement your anti-bullying
policy or what systems you use to ensure it is followed
we invite you to join us at OvercomeBullying.org in
exploring real solutions to the very serious problems
of bullying, harassment and mobbing.
Thank you for visiting OvercomeBullying.org.
Please bookmark this site, sign-up to receive
our free newsletter or subscribe
to our RSS feed so we can stay in touch.
Let's all work together to overcome bullying in our
schools, our workplaces and in our lives.
All the Best.
Founder, OvercomeBullying.org
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