Are you being bullied?

-



We mostly associate bullying with teenagers and schoolchildren being targeted by mean classmates. However, the fact is that we never stop being bullied. Many adults suffer from intimidation, teasing, and criticism. Adult bullies are everywhere. They can be abusive romantic partners, rowdy neighbours, work colleagues, bosses, friends, or even strangers on the street. You might dismiss these encounters as a result of personality differences or someone having a bad day. But, adults get bullied almost as frequently as adolescents.  

Bullying has many levels and manifestations, but regardless of how subtle or excessive it may be, it can have a damaging impact on self-esteem. It involves rumours, threats, attacks- both physical and verbal or deliberate exclusion of someone from the group.

 This issue is often condoned in the workplace. It can take the form of a manager who is highly critical and consistently demands more work from you while dismissing you. Bullies among co-workers may propagate rumours, intimidate or insult one another. Bullying can take the form of gaslighting, mind games, severe criticism, or threats in the case of your family and friends. Regardless of where it occurs, it is difficult to acknowledge these indicators of bullying within close, intimate relationships and friendships. Trusting your instinct is sometimes the only way to recognize it. If you’re not comfortable, there is a good chance that you’re a victim of bullying. 

So how do I stand up for myself and take action?

1. Try as hard as to not take it personally: Always keep in mind that it isn’t about you. It's about them and their urge to feel overpowering. This reflects their insecurities, not your flaws. They are frequently threatened by you and want to make you feel more insecure.

2. Remain calm but keep your boundaries: It can be incredibly difficult not to fight back when a bully attacks you, but you have to do your best to be the bigger person and not stoop right down to their level. If they come after you again, tell them to stop. If they don't, simply leave. Try not to get involved. 

3. If it is a workplace bully, talk to your supervisor: Document their behaviour and report the abuse to a supervisor, preferably in human resources. Save each and every aggression- no matter how large or small- save emails and take screenshots of comments left on social media that document cyberbullying. Block them everywhere and limit all interactions to your work.

4. Know your legal rights and exercise them: Remember that you are not powerless. You have rights. Harassment is a punishable offence that can be reported. If you feel truly insecure around someone, seek help from a therapist. They can assist you in determining your level of danger and the best course of action to take without causing further physical or emotional injury.

Written by: Shagun Sharma

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The plight of the unemployed bread earner

-
Image
  While having held the privilege of better job opportunities, a say in the country’s systems & politics & the freedom to pursue whatever pleases one’s heart, men have also had to bear the brunt of the societal standards fixated on them. Because of the gender inequality that persists in society, it is not intuitive for anyone to understand the pressure men are under & society’s role in reducing it. For eons, men have had to shoulder the responsibility of being the sole bread earners of the family. Ever since childhood, they are taught to put up a bold face & face the world headstrong to provide for food on the table. It is ingrained in their minds that it is their sole responsibility to ‘provide’ for the family. If not, they are not fulfilling their moral duties. They have had to live up to the labels of being ‘strong’ & ‘successful’. Branching from this pressure is the machismo we see affecting both the men & women equally. Beholding the title of ‘the breadwinn
Read more

Her AFSANA

-
Image
"For me hearing my baba say “Mera bahadur baccha” was one of the highlights of our relationship. As a child, having my loved ones around was all that really mattered to me. I didn’t ponder about the materialistic things. To be a child is a warm and nurturing feeling. When I was 7, my ‘one and only’, my baba passed away, I felt like my world crumbled, My childhood with him was like a reservoir of love and happiness. Irrespective of everything around, he gave me love as I’d never known or felt.  A year before that I had lost my younger sister Raheen and that just increased the love and attachment I shared with baba. He always said, “My daughters are my everything” and he spent all his time just showing it to us through his actions. Two days before his death he told me that he’s coming home and I should wait for him. The jolly little child that I was, I was beaming with excitement. All I would do the whole day was keep singing “Mere baba aagaye, mere baba aagaye!” But the next I saw
Read more

Why Should We All Be Feminists

-
Image
Feminism is a movement that aims to achieve equality for all individuals, regardless of their gender. While it is often viewed as a movement for women, it imperative for everyone to be a feminist. A feminist society will benefit all its stakeholders which shall enable every individual to progress without discriminatory hurdles. Firstly, men should be feminists as they’ve a lot to benefit! While women disproportionately experience issues such as the gender pay gap, sexual harassment, and domestic violence; men are also affected by the patriarchal norms and expectations. Societal conditioning to be the “Provider” adds an undue mental strain on men. A feminist society can help men break free from these restrictive gender roles, allowing them to explore their interests and talents without fear of judgment. Societal pressure often discourages men from seeking help at the cost of worsening their own mental health. The privileges that men lose will work in their favour by unshackling them fro
Read more