Saturday 21 November 2009

Bullying

Hi. I was reading the paper today and decided that someone reads my blogs and then uses it to write a newspaper article. Three times now subjects l have just covered, appear next day in the paper. Um... should l feel flattered or should l be angry, get off my backside and send these articles into a paper myself? Maybe l should add an another arrow to my bow and become a journalist!!!Thinks!
Anyway down to buisness. A few weeks ago, l met a woman, who's son is being bullied at school and is not getting any help. The primary school seems to be more concerned with apperances than the child's well being. This little boy, who is 8 is being bullied by 3 older boys and a girl...yes, l said a girl. Over the last few years, l seem to be dealing with girls more often. I have also come to the conclusion that girls can often be worse than boys. I do wonder what we have done to our children that some girls seem to have become so violent?
This little boy has done nothing wrong, doesn't seem to have an appearance that would make you understand why he has been chosen but he is bullied never the less. He has been at the school since he was 4 with these children and there has never been any trouble before. It just seems to have come from no where.
He has been punched, pinched, kicked, been spat at, his bag thrown over a high wall, his books ripped up and his hair pulled out. When the school were first told, the teacher said it was just the children playing a little rough. Then after the third time, the mum asked to see the Headmaster. It got a reaction but not one she had expected. The three children involve were questioned and said it was all a joke and they didnt mean to hurt him. They were told off and had to say "sorry" to the boy!
After this the mum decided to try and talk to the childrens parents. She tried and was told that they would report her to the police for harassment, if they didn't stop talking to the school and their children. This story is still on going. I have found out since, that the 3 bullies have told friends the reason why they bully this little boy. Apparently they think he is a goody goody and needs to be put in his place..this is roughly what they said! If they are like this at 10....what will they be like as teenagers?
It is or was Anti-Bulling week this week. There were many talks on the radio, T.V and workshops in schools. I am hoping this will get through to the people in charge and they will start to put "Anti-Bullying" Procedures into pratice. Fingers crossed. Perhaps if teavhers were given some control back in schools, they would be able to deal with bullies better.
The other phone calls to my consulting rooms, that have increased a lot lately, concern Work Place Bulling and Internet Bullying. Once again there sees to be quite a few cases on TV and Radio about both these types of Bullying. One of the things that actually worries me is the Bullying that goes on, on for example, Bebo and Facebook. Not knowing who is bullying you can be so hard to cope with. Also if a person is talked about within a small group, like a school group, is one thing...the world is a HUGE difference!
One case l was dealing with recently, was a 13 year old girl, who wouldn't have sex with her 14 year old boyfriend. In spite, he wrote about her on his facebook site, including a photo of her face super-imposed onto a nude. He said she had given him good head and certainly was not a virgin and all sorts of other unsavory things. This went to all his friends and to their friends and so on....thousands of people saw it before it was taken off. This poor girl tried to kill herself and has completly changed. Her parents are in the middle of moving because she has been totally traumatised and wont leave the house. It is going to take a long time for this child and her family to recover... if ever. The boy has been "told off" but in the eyes of his friends..he is a cool dude!
On the other subject, work place bullying is getting worse. It covers women who are being sexually abused by workmates or their boss. They are too frightened of losing their jobs to tell any one. There are older women who feel that they are for ever being treated unfairly because the boss wants to replace them with younger women. One parent adults, feel they have to work every hour they are told because they cannot loose their jobs. Then there are the men and woman who are being bullied because they are too fat, ugly, dressed funnily  or they just don't fit in. There is also the sexual abuse suffered by both men and women. Why are people so angry these days and nasty to each other? There is so much stress in the work place and the world. I spend most of my working day, trying to help people learn how to relax and have less stress......l am very busy!
I could go on like this for hours...but l had better stop before l bore you all. Any way..Peace to you all and goodnight folksxlynda

After such an upsetting blog..here are some flowers to make you smile againx