Bullying doesn't just happen in school

It's been over a week since my first introductory blog post and I have been thinking about what topic I want to address on my blog first. I have recently come across a very powerful image in my opinion about bullying, then I came to the realization that bullying is something I am passionate about and I don't tend to see much surrounding it on social media anymore, because it's something that we associate being at school with... However bullying doesn't JUST happen in school!

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behaviour among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behaviour is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumours, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose. Most of you reading this can probably say you have been bullied at some point in your life, whether that is name calling or physical assault, both of which are just as harmful. Bullying is something we all think only happens in school... when you're so young and vulnerable and don't really understand what is happening to you. However the point of my blog post is to stress that bullying doesn't just happen during school, it can happen in the workplace, with friends or even family members. This post is to address this and I will be happy knowing that people have taken something from my post, such as feeling more capable of looking out for others who may be getting bullied around you. 

Bullying is something I have personally experienced in school and I am sure so many others have who are reading this. I was unfortunately bullied during both primary and secondary school but I was lucky enough to have incredible support from teachers who I felt able to confide in, but not everyone has that person they can trust. It's so important to be vigilant at all ages, no matter what situation you are in because the older we get the less likely we would feel able confide to others about being bullied. Approaching someone you know who you think may be experiencing the signs I will address below may change their life forever. It's such a difficult experience to go through, because it generally affects you for the rest of your life. Those verbally abusive comments from your peers stick with you right through your adolescence, but of course at the time we don't know this and most of us are afraid to stick up for ourselves. Being physically assaulted as a child by peers also affects you later in life, for example experiencing intense anxiety when you're in a situation of conflict. Speaking up about being bullied was personally harder than being bullied for me and I know others who feel the same. There are many signs you can look out for when someone is being bullied, for both children and those you work with or are friends with today. 

Signs that someone you know is getting bullied: 

- Unexplainable injuries - bruising/cuts/grazes
- Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewellery

- Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness

- Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating.

- Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares

- Decreased efforts with school/college/work, loss of interest, or not wanting to go

- Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations

- Feelings of helplessness or decreased self esteem

- Self-destructive behaviours such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide.

All of these signs are ones that we should look out for not only for young children but also our friends and colleagues. I hope that this post has reminded you that bullying still happens and it's not always the severe cases that are the most important. For example, name calling by many is seen as a joke, not worth worrying about because were not children anymore so it's fine... Wrong! 

Imagine being called words such as stupid, bitch, idiot, crazy, mental and more every day when you're at work sitting at your office desk or running around looking after people all day. This is still considered as bullying and I can honestly say this is something I see so often, however I never think anything of it until now. It is not until I came across a very powerful image which has been drawn by someone online, which has made me stop and think about bullying, I will post the image below.

 

Take a moment to look at this image and think if you have seen anyone received these verbally abusive comments and names in the last week, if you have, this person may be getting bullied. 

How to respond to bullying:

- Stop the bullying on the spot - When people respond quickly and consistently to bullying behaviour, they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behaviour over time. There are simple steps adults can take to stop bullying on the spot and keep children/colleagues/peers safe.

- Find out what happened - Whether you’ve just stopped bullying on the spot or a child/adult has reached out to you for help, learn how to determine the best way to proceed.

- Support the person involved - All people involved in bullying—whether they are bullied, bully others, or see bullying—can be affected. It is important to support all involved to make sure the bullying doesn’t continue and effects can be minimized.

- Be more than a bystander - Every day, people see bullying. They want to help, but don’t know how. Research ways how YOU can help, whether that be speaking to the person directly or someone who can help e.g. teachers, managers or even the police. Don't walk away, take a chance for the person’s safety.

We need to remember that bullying doesn't JUST happen in school, it happens in any given situation and if we see the signs, we must act! Speaking out changed my life so don't be afraid to open up if you feel you or someone you know is being bullied. There are people who are willing to help and listen, you just have to find the right ones. I hope you have enjoyed reading this post, please let me know below in the comments what you think or let me know through any of my social media accounts. Thank you for reading!

INTRODUCTION

Hello everyone!

Thank you for taking the time to come and read my first blog post! As some of you may remember, I did start a blog last year and didn't stick to it, however now I feel really motivated to create a blog focusing on mental health and I may add some lifestyle posts too! In the past I used to keep many private blogs, as since being young I have always been the type to write down my feelings and write what I am thinking, so I thought why not start a public blog! I have been so passionate about mental health for a long time now, having my own personal experiences and I want others to learn from my posts and potentially find support too!

I am 22 years old (next week) and I am currently in my second year of training at the University of Greenwich to become a Psychiatric Nurse. I decided that I wanted to become a psychiatric nurse because of my own personal experiences of mental health. Those who know me well, including people from school and my childhood know that I unfortunately have had a long battle with my own mental health, however without that battle I wouldn't be where I am today. My recovery began at the end of 2013, where I finally made the decision to ask for help and admit to all the struggles I had faced for as long as I could remember. Since choosing recovery I have had many ups and downs along the way and times where I have nearly given up, but my biggest achievement is being accepted onto my course to train as a Psychiatric Nurse, allowing me to help and support others suffering from mental health conditions. I'm proud to say that I passed my first year and I am now at the beginning of my second and I can honestly say I absolutely love that I have chosen this career path for myself. My passion is to help others in distress whether that be the patients I work with or friends and family, however I also want to help extend peoples knowledge and understanding around mental health by creating this blog.

My blog will focus mostly around mental health, helping you to understand what it is truly like to live with these illnesses and where you can go for help and support and what to do when in crisis. I really hope that over time I will blog about my own personal experiences of mental health without the fear of judgement, because I want to show people out there who are struggling that it IS possible to recover and live a normal life! I was once told by a doctor that I will never recover from my condition and I will never live a normal life... My ultimate aim with this blog is to prove him wrong!

I hope that you enjoy reading this and my future posts, whether you're a friend, family member or someone I don't even know! Please do not hesitate to request any blog ideas to me through Facebook or by commenting below, I would be so grateful to receive feedback about this blog because it will be something I put a lot of effort into in my spare time!

Again, thank you for reading and I hope you're having a lovely day!