I struggled with myself on whether I should write about this topic or not. Although you mostly see me writing about beauty items or Disney, I do at times blog about some things going on in my day to day life. At the moment this topic is a very prevalent one in my life.
Bullies and Bullying are big buzz words as of late. You can take that any way you like. For one it can be seen as awareness; people are more aware that bullying is a real thing and because of that it is taken more seriously. Two, there are those that cry bully any chance they get simply because they can.
Either way the reality is Bullying is real. Now you're probably thinking, "Uh, yea we know Paula". If you have kids they probably spent the first few weeks at the beginning of this school year on this topic. How to recognize the signs of someone being bullied and what to do. What to do if they are being bullied. Perhaps the 'Bug and a Wish' method, before things get out of hand standing up to the bully and saying, "You are bugging me and I wish you would stop". No? Well, perhaps this method only works in my daughter's kindergarten class.
Now what I want to talk about is adult bullies. Again, as obvious as this may seem I don't think too much attention is paid. It may seem silly because as adults we most certainly shouldn't be dealing with bullies right? Wrong.
Bullying is a very real issue for adults and kids alike. Adult bullies may present themselves in many aspects of our lives. In the work place it can be your peer or your boss, closer to home it can be a neighbor. As adults many times we keep quiet because we don't want to make waves, since so much more is at stake. We don't want to make others uncomfortable even if we are uncomfortable.
Know that you are not alone, if this is happening to you it is probably happening to someone else around you. Document everything and go through the appropriate channels as needed. Tell someone, don't keep quiet about your situation. Know that things might get more difficult before they get better. Know that it is not OK for you to live in fear of going to work, going home or simply avoiding doing things you love because of another person.
If this is not happening to you but you see that it is happening to someone else, it is not enough to be content with yourself because, 'hey at least you're not the one being the bully'. That is unacceptable, we all have a duty to one another.
Life is not a spectator sport. We all need to Live Like A Citizen and take an active part in what goes on around us.
If you or someone you know is dealing with this, know that there are things you can do, people you can talk to. There is always a way.
For more information on what to do if a child is being bullied visit: No More Bullies, Stop Bullying
For more information on Adult bullying visit: Adult Bullying
Disclosure: No compensation was provided for this post. This blog is a means to share my thoughts and opinions.
I had to share on fb hope you don't mind
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to read this article. Share as many times as you like, spreading this message is very important.
DeleteGreat blog! It is so sad that this has become such an epidemic. My oldest son was being bullied when he was in kindergarten. I have always taught my three boys that it is not okay to hit or pick fights. He went from loving school, to crying every morning because he was terrified to go. I spoke with his teacher and the mother of the child. Thankfully doing so nipped the problem in the butt but unfortunately it's not always that easy. I began to understand that I have three boys and that I needed to make sure that as they grew older, they had the proper tools that would enable them to stand up for themselves or for others that couldn't. For almost four years now they have been taking Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Uflacker Academy. It is a martial art that teaches self-defense, discipline, respect and confidence, amongst many other things. They are taught to never use any of the moves learned on someone unless they feel that their safety is at risk. They have made strong friendships and have an over-abundant amount of confidence now. I will be eternally grateful to Uflacker Academy for teaching my boys what they need to know in order to deal with situations like this, now and for the rest of their lives!
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Thank you! You are right this is such an epidemic, we need to work together and educate ourselves and our children on this matter. BJJ seems like a great form of discipline.
DeleteThank you for sharing this! My son was bullied too when he was in primary school - he fought back, was top in his class in exams and when the bully saw him in a different light, he kept his distance from my son.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your son was able to do something about the situation he was in. It is so sad to see that many are simply to afraid to stand up for themselves. Thanks for the comment Veronica.
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