There's no denying it, being bullied is horrible. But there are things you can do about it, and there are people who can help.
First of all, don’t try and deal with the problem on your own, get help from friends, people at college or work or call a helpline. Remember that taking action shows the bullies that you are not afraid of them and are prepared to do something.
Try and put a stop to any sort of bullying behaviour before it gets out of hand. Record the bullying on paper as it can be hard to describe the exact facts from memory.
Don’t use violence. If you are being physically assaulted, learning some self-defence techniques may help, as you will be able to use them if you feel in danger. Learning some assertiveness techniques might help too.
If you can, walk away and ignore the bullies as they are trying to get a reaction from you. Try not to let them see you are upset. Look after yourself and don’t be afraid to seek help if you feel stressed and are finding it hard to cope.
Colleges and universities have student and staff disciplinary procedures which you can follow if you have been bullied, whether it is by a fellow student or a member of staff. Many also have bullying policies. These should all be on your college or university website.
Student support and/or your student union office are good places to start for help and advice. They will have student counselling services you can access if you need.
To find out more about bullying at college or university you can check out the article from The Anti-Bullying Network.
Employers have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees, which includes making sure you are not bullied. The bullying may also breach discrimination legislation if it is sexist, racist, homophobic, or about your disability or religion or belief.
Sadly, around 80% of managers admit that bullying takes place in their workplace. Most of it is psychological and leaves you feeling worthless and with low self-esteem.
The bullying can be covert (such as constant criticism, withholding information, undermining work and decisions or taking responsibility away) or open (humiliating you in front of your colleagues, being sarcastic, ignoring or insulting you or not listening to your ideas).
It can be hard to know what to do about bullying at work, particularly if everyone seems to accept it. Some people are afraid that it will look like they can’t cope with their work if they accuse a manager of bullying. Try and find a colleague who can support you, it may even be another manager who can see what is happening to you.
Find out if your workplace has an anti-bullying policy to help you decide what to do. If there isn’t one follow the company grievance procedures. Take advice from the human resources department and union representative, if you have them.
Keep a record of the bullying, including any emails, memos, notes etc. It’s a good idea to go through copies of your job description and any appraisal notes to show what your responsibilities actually are and how your work has been going.
You may feel that resigning is the best course of action. If you have a union rep ask them if you have a case for constructive dismissal, this is where you feel forced to resign because of the conditions at work.
If you are being bullied at work have a look at the TUC Bullying Information.
Antibullying Network: Information for Students- read more about being bullied at university.
TUC: Bullying at work- Find out more about your rights if you are being bullied at work.
Published on 06/07/2010
Last modified on 26/09/2011
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