Bullying is something that takes many forms, and can happen in any place. While it is an everyday occurrence for children, it is also an everyday occurrence for adults, especially in the workplace.
Children are merciless when it comes to someone they see as not part of the socially acceptable group. Someone different. This especially goes for teenagers, where the differences in social status become far more obvious and important.
When I was in school I was bullied on a daily basis. I had objects thrown at me, I was humiliated in front of the whole school on a daily basis, I was made fun of, I was called names, I was falsely accused of thievery, and there were many times were was physical bullying as well.
Everyday I was more and more humiliated. As much as I loved learning new things, I hated going to school, because that would mean that all the children I knew and a fair few more, would immediately start with name calling, throwing objects, and public humiliation.
Not only am I overweight, which makes for a good target, but I am an epileptic as well. So there was a whole new level to the bullying. I was not only constantly humiliated because of my weight, but I also became known as an attention seeker because of my regular seizures.
My seizures are basically short term memory loss, accompanied by the fluttering of my eyes, and pain located behind my eyes itself. But most people didn't bother to ask me the reason for this. They saw it as an excuse to get even more attention from the teachers, and if they did know about it, they accused me of pretending that it is worse than it actually is, in order to get sympathy from the teachers and student body. So this fact aggravated the bullying a lot. At least, until they wanted something from me.
Most students, no matter what their age, also experience bullying. Whether it is because of age, appearance, social status, abilities, or appearance, it does not matter. Bullying affects everyone. For those that do it, it provides a joy that is hard to describe. For those who it is done to? Well it has effects that can last well into adulthood, if not their entire life.
Bullying, no matter how small it seems to the one doing it, always has a negative impact. And depending on the person being bullied, it can have various intensities. This can range from low self-esteem, negative body image, and self-hatred, to body dysmorphia, self-harm tendencies, and suicide.
All of these effects have a life long span. Depending on the person in question, and the intensity of the bullying, It can block out every good thing in that persons' life, up until the point where they see no more reason to live. Even in the cases where suicide is not something that happens, it negatively effects their life in ways that most people don't even think of.
When it comes to bullying in the workplace, it has just a negative impact as elsewhere. And in this instance you can't do anything in order to defend yourself. That is, if you still want to have a job when the day is over. In many cases, the bullying at the workplace is more subtle than you would find elsewhere. But there are also many cases where the bullying comes from a superior who does not care who knows about it, and enjoys humiliating you as much as possible. This is something I have also experienced.
When children and teenagers are bullied, it has a lasting effect. Permanent in many cases. But as an adult, this has a whole new depth to it. It undermines everything you have ever thought of yourself. It breaks you down in a different way. You start to question everything you do, everything you say, and your every thought. It makes you feel even more worthless than you would have thought, especially when your superior likes to humiliate you in front of others.
By no means am I saying that being bullied as an adult is worse than being bullied when you are younger. It is not. It is different. Your mindset when you are young, and your mindset as an adult are two very different things. And as such, the two different forms of bullying are both equally as bad in their own right.
I am 29 years old, and was bullied at school almost every single day. This still has an affect on me, especially when it comes to my self-esteem. I was bullied at work. Not only in private between my boss and I, but in front of customers and other workers. This just reinforced my self-esteem problems, and made me even more negative about myself.
This is not something that just vanishes. It takes a lot of work to process it and to accept it. And it is not always guaranteed that that will happen. For some people it never happens. And in many cases it comes to the point where the person who is being bullied only sees one solution, suicide.
Bullying breaks a person down in many different ways. And it can be done in many different ways. Whether at school, home, or work, it does not matter. The effect is always negative, no matter how small the action seems to the one doing it.
Many people today are struggling to find themselves, or to find even the slightest good thing in themselves because of it. They are broken and empty inside because if the words said against them, and the actions performed against them. And this is not easy to get over. There is no switch to flip where you can suddenly say everything is ok and it does not bother you anymore. It does not work that way. It never has. You may be able to bury those feelings and emotions for a while, but at some point the damn will burst and everything will come pouring out. And at these times it can not only destroy you, but it can harm or destroy those around you.
Remember, you are not who people say you are. You decide who you become. Your bullies cannot dictate who you will be, even though they try really hard to. You have the final say, not them.
If you are being bullied, and feel depressed or feel that you need help, please follow these links to Destroy Depression and Online Therapy. They have many resources, and they will be able to help.
https://www.online-therapy.com/?ref=271714
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