Bullying is a form of abuse. Stop the abuse!

BULLYING IS A FORM OF ABUSE. STOP THE ABUSE. According to http://www.bullyonline.org, "Bullying is persistent unwelcome behaviour, mostly using unwarranted or invalid criticism, nit-picking, fault-finding, also exclusion, isolation, being singled out and treated differently, being shouted at, humiliated, excessive monitoring, having verbal and written warnings imposted, and much more. In the workplace, bullying usually focuses on distorted or fabricated allegations of underperformance....The purpose of bullying is to hide inadequacy." Bullying begins with a sense of inadequacy in the bully who in turn, seeks inadequacies in others. ****** Once a weakness is spotted, a target is found and the bullying begins. Bullying is no joke, never has been, but the difference between bullying nowadays and bullying in the past is the level of intensity. ******Today, bullies seem to have no sense of morality, respect no limits, and feel no compassion or guilt. Even when the bullying leads to tragedy, they seem unaffected. Bullying is usually done in secret, but sometimes it's done in the presence of others who don't understand or don't bother to ask questions. At schools, teachers are aften too preoccupied with trouble-makers and don't realize what's going on in interactions between students. They often seem oblivious to what's going on, especially when the targeted student is quiet and doesn't complain. But many are afraid to complain or don't know who to turn to. For those who face bullying on a daily basis, there seems to be no one who believes, and no one to tell. Yet, there is secrecy between the bully and those who see and accept what's going on. Some observers even assist the bully in terrorizing someone else.That way, they gain acceptance by the bully.******Once upon a time neighbors looked out for children in the neighborhood, and aggressive acts where reported to parents. At school, there was recess where teachers could observe questionable activities and interactions between students on the playground. But even that was not enough. Children were bullied as often as they are today, or almost as often, but the difference is this: People worked together to protect those who lived in the neighborhood. But as community networks were destroyed somewhere along the way, neighborhoods became fragmented. With the deconstruction of neighborhoods through community redevelopment, lack of neighborly rapport because of busy schedules, drugs and street violence, we began to accept a world where it's up to the individual to protect themselves. ******If an individual is isolated by gender, language, culture, race, ethnicity or is shy and has no network of support, the individual is vulnerable to bullying. Bullying is not new, and as always, it takes a network of support to protect against it. For anyone who is bullied whether in schools or in the workplace, it's important to build a community of support--friends, teachers, counselors, administrators or mentors. Then it's important to take notes regarding bullying incidents--who was the bully, what happened, when and where it happened. Finally, it's important to find a way to report what happened to someone in power who believes in you. Of course, never give up, never stop trying to find ways to protect yourself, focus on building a network of support. Bullying is a form of abuse that no one deserves. STOP THE ABUSE.