Bullying Awareness by: Janaya Buckley

October is the month of National Bullying awareness in the United States, but awareness for bullying should not end there.

Bullying does not only happen through elementary to high school, it can also occur throughout adulthood. Whether it be at the workplace, on a college campus, or elsewhere, bullying can cause significant trauma and damage to an individual over a significant period of time. Therefore, it is vital to be aware of what you can do if you or someone you know is being bullied. 

As we grow older, the term “bullying” begins to phase out, instead it may take on a different term such as harassment, coercion, abuse or persecution. But the action itself still stands— if someone makes another person distressed or causes them harm, that is bullying. 

Bullying in the Work Place 

Bullying and harassment can occur anywhere, even in a place of employment. In the workplace, someone may be a victim of bullying by a co-worker or higher power. This can be induced through constant critique, covert harassment and undermining of the effort put into work. Sometimes there is a power imbalance between the perpetrator and the victim, but it can also take place between colleagues. Discrimination can be based on prejudice against race, gender, sexuality or disability. 

“While bullies may seem to gain power and/or control in a bullying situation or culture, it is ultimately harmful for everyone involved including the bully, the bullied, the bystanders and the environment in which it occurs,” Dr. Matt Dodd, associate professor in psychology and counseling, said. “When bullying behavior is allowed to continue, it permits, and can even promote, the mindset of seeing others as ‘better than’ or ‘less than’ based on arbitrary attributes determined by those in control. This shifts the focus to a win/lose mentality that encourages competition rather than collaboration… and in order for an individual to ‘Win’ all others must ‘Lose.’”

Bullying in College 

Bullying does not just end in high school, it can also occur in a college or university setting. It can be student on student bullying, or teacher on student bullying. A student may be bullied by a teacher through manipulation or threatening their grades unfairly. Since teachers have leverage over students, they have the power to act insidiously toward students. 

Bullying on a student from another student can be physical or emotional. In the physical sense; campus sexual assault and harassment affects more than roughly one-forth of undergraduate women, and one-forth of undergraduate men. Statistics show that the first couple of months of college is where most assaults occur. 

Why Bullying Happens

Bullying can happen for a majority of reasons. So in order to put a stop to it, we have to understand the psychological and sociological thought process behind the behaviours. 

“There are a number of factors that can and do affect bullying behavior, so it’s helpful to approach the psychology of bullying from a biopsychosocial approach,” Dr. Dodd said. “Psychological factors to consider are things like attitudes towards self and others, belief systems, cognitive processes for problem-solving and judgment making. The sociological factors to take into account are family-of-origin rules and expectations for acceptable behavior, the influence (or lack) of friends/peers in the contextual environment (home, school, work, etc.), social support networks and cultural influences (family, friends, school, online, community, ethnic, etc.).”

How to Stop it

There are many ways to put a stop to bullying. Unfortunately, not all ways are simple, and can take time to implement or see positive results. Persistence and patience is key when dealing with situations like these. If you witness a situation where someone is being bullied and is in need of support, do not be afraid to be the person to offer a hand to them, ask them if they are all right. Ignoring these issues will cause them to worsen or escalate in the future, the longer they go unresolved the worse a situation can get. Because of the many types of bullying and how broad it can be, there are a variety of ways stopping bullying can occur. 

“If you perceive a threat/danger you can ask/call for help from an authority figure or others nearby,” Dr. Dodd said. “If a person is exhibiting aggressive or violent behavior, call 911 or other emergency services. Do not ignore or allow bullying behavior to continue if/when it occurs, and use language that promotes a positive and encouraging atmosphere.”