Bullying has been prevalent in every corner of our world since humans appeared on it. It’s a sad fact that many children and adults have a cruel streak. The reasons for this are many, and some of this site’s tabs have previous posts that describe the “why” and the “how to stop it” aspects. My other website with posts on this problem is:
https://ragdollsandrage.com/category/blog/
The immediate effects on victims of bullying include absenteeism, lack of self-esteem and ill health (both physically and mentally). More long-term consequences include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), long-term anger and withdrawal from social gatherings (self-induced isolation).
The long-term effects on bullies, if allowed to continue their negative behaviour, can eventually be divorce, dead-end jobs or unemployment, and even imprisonment. It’s a no-win situation in which both sides need guidance and help and are still not getting it. Schools, for example, are now aware of the gravity of this problem, yet many still do little to help. I have a blog post about that, too. In the workforce, also, the issue is often ignored.
In various ways, however, bullying has both decreased and increased; for example, some schools have set up anti-bullying groups that give support to targets and also counsel bullies themselves. To a degree, this has reduced physical abuse and verbal deprecation. So, progress has been made, yes, but more is required. This is especially true in recent decades, which have seen the rise of cyberbullying, dark-web hate sites and school shootings. These prove bullying is simply changing shape.
School staff, from the top down, must get involved – they cannot continue to see themselves simply as teachers of math or trainers in football. They have to acknowledge their role as supporters of children in their care: safety, supervision, behaviour modification, involvement with parents etc. Hiring school counsellors is necessary. The same is true for Human Resources (HR) departments of employers. They should not see themselves solely as annual work-performance recorders and such like. They need to remember the “human” in HR.
Requesting action from school boards, principals, and teachers in schools, and from parents in their neighbourhoods and homes, as well as Human Rights offices in various towns and cities for employees, is one way of solving these issues.
Below is a link to an excellent article by Tom Read – and although it deals in US statistics, I am quite sure the information will be useful worldwide. I did post it two years ago, in another blog, but it’s worth adding here.
https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/us-schools-crime-statistics/