Often this causes the feeling of low self esteem and by bullying others it creates a false impression of feeling important or superior that fleetingly replaces the pain and insecurity they hold inside.
Although school and the workplace are becoming more common bullying grounds, home seems to be a common source that is often overlooked, especially for children. Children who are victims of bullying feel vulnerable or unworthy and often will turn to bullying another child trying to gain the self esteem or control they feel is lacking in their own lives.
It isn't so unusual for someone to act out without even knowing the reason why and this makes it a sad situation in itself. The parent or sibling who bullies could unknowingly start a domino type effect and as a result cause negative influence to future family members.
Bullying in the workplace often involves the misrepresentation of power. Workplace bullies tend to intimidate, humiliate, and degrade those in lesser positions leaving their victims feeling defenseless and stripped of their dignity. Examples of bullying at work could be:
- Blame without justification
- Being singled out and treated differently than the rest of your fellow workers
- Being sworn at or called names
- Belittled, degraded, or humiliated
- Being made the brunt of practical jokes
Now with the use of computers and the Internet there is a new form of bullying called “cyber bullying.” Cyber Bullies leave rude or derogatory comments on user forums, bulletin boards, and comment areas. This kind of bullying seems to be the most cowardly of all. They feel safe in the knowledge that no one can see them, find them, or know who they are.
This gives them the feeling of power to say things they wouldn't normally have the courage to say. Their motivation could be anger or frustration but more often it is for entertainment. Cyber bullies are motivated by the reactions of others and the greater the reaction the more vicious their comments become.
So what can be done about bullies? If a child is being bullied at school their best defense is to talk to an adult, someone they can trust in authority that can handle the situation and put a stop to it. Bullying is an offense so if you are being bullied at work, keep a diary of all inappropriate actions, comments, and gestures.
Keep any email, letters, text messages, voice mail, or notes they may send to you then approach your Union, supervisor, manager, or your local Board of Labour. As for cyber bullies, they are usually children with too much time on their hands. While we see them as inconvenient annoyances, they are usually harmless and are best just overlooked.
