What is the difference between not nice, mean and bullying?
‘Bullying’ does not exist. 😤
I was sent this meme yesterday. It’s bulls**t, folks.
Not the theme of the meme, but the whole term ‘bullying’. It drives me crazy and I have been publicly outspoken about it for years.
Where else in society can someone be Intimidated, Assaulted, Harassed, and Tormented and have it termed ‘Bullying’?
Want to get serious about the problem? Start by actually fronting up and calling it what it is!
I worked with a parent who has a 14yo daughter suffering from targeted behaviour at school, who was now suicidal from it.
The parent had approached the school multiple times about the ‘bullying’ which had resulted in...ZERO change (actually made it worse).
I assisted with an escalation strategy, part of which involved the re-labelling of what was happening to the child. Away from “My daughter is being ‘bullied’”, to “My daughter is being Assaulted, Intimidated, and Harassed”.
Things change when we give them the weighting they deserve.
I don’t know where the term ‘bullying’ came from, my best guess is it was a term coined to minimise and justify behaviour by young children. It then spread to College level, and even into the workplace! ‘Office Bully’??? Seriously?
Minimisation is one of the signs of denial. And we only minimise things which loom large over us. Calling this behaviour (certainly beyond primary school level) ‘bullying’ is minimisation. It is irresponsible, weak, and largely enabling.
For all of you in our community who take a stand against this behaviour, you all rock. And I invite you to think about changing the narrative when we talk about this from now on. Maybe, together, we will get the message through...
Right, I’m off to work with someone who was the victim of ‘un-invited removal Of property involving physical connection’ (currently called ‘Aggrevated Robbery’ and ‘Assault With Intent To Injure’, but I think the other version is more aligned with the term-book that published ‘bullying’).
Whew. Bit of a heavy post. Here’s a happy pig to help you smile again: 🐷
😎
Phil ‘change the script’ Thompson