Unfortunately, bullying can happen in more than schools, and impacts both children and adults. Bullying is often about an imbalance of power; one individual or group has more power while the targeted person often has far less. And in both children and adults, bullying often takes the shape of threats, aggressive behavior, exclusion, spreading rumors, and verbal abuse which tends to escalate over time and has detrimental effects on the targeted individual. In schools, it may be that your child is picked on, name-called, and physically antagonized or harmed. In the workplace, it may be that you are frequently humiliated, threatened, or sabotaged so that you’re unable to do your work, and may find coworkers and colleagues avoiding you.

If you or your child has ever been bullied, it feels scary and stressful. Being bullied can create health problems, anxiety, depression and can even lead to suicide. So how do you know if you or your child is being bullied? Here are some warning signs:

Your child may:
– complain of headaches, stomach aches, or other illnesses
– experience nightmares or have trouble sleeping
– have injuries that are unexplainable
– have damaged possessions or missing possessions when they return home from school
– have declining grades/school performance may be suffering
– experience behavior changes including hurting themselves, isolating, or they may run away from home and miss school frequently
– experience lower self esteem
– loss of friends or change in group of friends

You may
– blame yourself for they way you’re treated at work
– miss work often or use your time off for mental health days
– dread going to work
– experience health problems such as headaches, difficulty sleeping, and high blood pressure
– feel shame about feeling controlled by someone at work
– hear from family and friends that they are worried about you
– find yourself thinking and talking about work constantly

Bullying happens in both schools and at work, for both children and adults. When we’re the victim of bullying, we can feel helpless. Bullying is unacceptable and you are not to blame for being targeted by a bully. It’s crucial for you to talk about your experience with someone you trust, and find ways to effectively take control back in your life.

By: Kate Kelsey, MA, LMFT

If you or your child have been bullied or are currently dealing with being bullied and you need further support, please give us a call or email at 303-353-9226 or jedmonds@brightsidecounseling.net to set up an appointment to help learn some coping skills and deal with the emotions surrounding this.