Children run home screaming that someone at school is bothering them – calling them names, picking on them, and fighting. Parents are familiar with this scenario because many of them were victims of bullying as well. Somehow, they got over it – moved on with their lives. However, as new parents, they find themselves rushing to the side of their children, allaying fears, and demanding that a cap be placed on bullying. Okay, it’s probably safe to say that bullying has been around a long time – so why the focus?
While W.S. Churchill conveyed to us that there is a way out everything except death, recent attention has focused on individuals who took their own lives and the lives of others as a result of bullying. Thus, is it possible for parents, counselors, and educators to convince children that these targeted acts of unkindness, cruel words, and outbreaks of physical abuse inflicted on others will pass when they enter the magical world of adulthood?
Are we kidding ourselves? Let’s face the facts. It would be unrealistic to go home each night, look in the mirror and convince ourselves that bullying goes away in adulthood. We know bullying stays; it also morphs into retaliation, coercion, power play, and corruption. So, as children transition from the playground to the workforce:
The fish bowl gets bigger with more room to swim,
but watch for bigger fish that gobble at whim.
A friend once shared her experience about standing up for a coworker who was treated terribly while employed by a large firm. After attending several meetings, she was convinced that her fellow coworkers were going after this person for no reason. This individual did his work, voiced his opinion at meetings, and appeared to be doing a good job. Although his opinions did not always align with the group, he was polite and considerate of others. Yet, he was subjected to continuous mistreatment and harassment from coworkers. Read more…