Bullies Are Not Just In Our Schools Anymore

You would think as we grow older and have jobs out in the big bad world that the acts of bullying behavior would stop, right? Wrong.

Bullies are not only the kids out on the playground and in our schools who push children around, call them names, steal their lunch money, talk badly about others and say things that can make a child feel like there is really something wrong with them. They also try to get others in their social group to do the same.  All it takes is one child to make another child’s life miserable. Well, I’m here to tell you that bullies just don’t exist on the playground anymore. They are everywhere like in our workplaces and on social media.

I’ve been down the road of being bullied. As a child I was overweight.  Yes, I’m still overweight and yes, people still say mean things to me about my weight, but you would think that as adults we wouldn’t treat each other like this anymore. Hearing about bullying in the workplace bothers me to no end. It makes me ill and upsets me very much.  No one should ever have to go through something like this just because of one or a few people.  For crying out loud, we as adults should know what’s on the inside of a person is what counts, not what the person looks like on the outside.  God made all of us unique in our own way, shape and form.  God knows our hearts, our actions and God knows it’s just not our looks and body sizes that count.

There are different types of bullying, like telling your teachers/bosses/co-workers on others because of something that you don’t like or telling others things to get someone in trouble. Some people who have been bullied can become bullies and not even realize it. It can be in their actions, how they treat others or even speaking in a  condescending tone to people.  Some bullies are what they call the Eddie Haskell kind (he is the character from the Leave it to Beaver TV show). He was always nice in front of teachers/parents/bosses, but boy oh boy, once they walked away his true colors came out.

We all need to do our part to stop the bullying madness.  Whether it’s in our schools, on our streets, at our workplaces or on social media, it only takes one to make our children or adult lives miserable.

Keep a look out for signs that someone you know and love is being bullied. It may be over a short period of time, but you need to watch for changes of behavior. Are they withdrawing from things they once loved to do? We need to be watchful especially with our pre-teens and teenagers. These can lead to deeper, darker and more harmful things. That’s a path I pray to God that none of us ever have to walk down.

Bordas & Bordas is on a quest to stop bullying.  We have a program in our community that focuses on just that. The Bordas & Bordas Anti-Bullying Fighting for Justice Award recognizes seniors in the OVAC schools in Ohio, Marshall and Belmont counties who stand up for others. It’s a great program that recognizes our youth who try to stop these acts of cruelty.  If you know of a student who treats everyone equally, respects differences in others, stands up for those who are targeted or discriminated against and speaks out against injustice you can nominate them for the 2016 Anti-Bully Award. Nominations can be made by anyone in the community and are typically accepted in the spring. Winners receive a $500 cash award and tickets to a luxury suite at PNC Park for a Pittsburgh Pirates game. If you “Like” our Facebook page, you won’t miss the announcement or you can contact the firm for more information.

The bullying stops with each and every one of us.  In the words of Will Smith, “Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your mind, feelings and emotions.”  I keep this on my desk and read it every day at work and at home.

Let’s all try to be nicer to each other, not because we have to, but because it’s the right thing to do.

Rock on People, Rock On.