Bullying is common and affects adults and children alike. If you’re being bullied, it’s not your fault. However, it can harm your self-esteem and, in the worst case, even lead to long-term mental health problems. No one should have to put up with this. Which is why we need to bring an end to bullying. Help is also available for anyone who is affected.
If you’re being bullied, you’ve been put at a disadvantage. You’re repeatedly subjected to adverse behaviour by one or more individuals. While there are different types of bullying, all of them can lead to mental health problems:
Psychological bullying can happen face-to-face by means of looks, expressions, mocking laughter, sighs or constant exclusion from or refused admittance to the group.
Verbal bullying can include taunts, mean comments or threats from other people.
Physical bullying can include being punched, kicked or pushed or having your belongings destroyed. School toilets and changing rooms are often places that feel unsafe.
Cyberbullying is when you’re bullied online. This can include, for example, spreading negative comments, rumours or hurtful images.
Adults bully each other too. Almost one in ten adults say they’ve been subjected to bullying in the workplace, also known as victimization.
If you’re subjected to bullying, you may suffer from anxiety, low mood and other mental health problems. You may also experience physical pain, such as headache or stomach ache. Victimization in the workplace is a major cause of sick leave. The resultant illnesses include serious diagnoses such as exhaustion disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Bullying affects people to varying extents, but if you’re subjected to such abuse for a prolonged time, there’s a high risk of serious harm to your self-esteem. It can get to the point where you end up believing what the bullies say, that you’re not as worthy as everyone else. This isn’t true, and it’s not your fault that you’re being bullied.
It’s common for bullying to evoke feelings of shame and guilt, which can make it particularly difficult to talk about what’s happening. However, such thoughts can make you feel even worse, lonely and ashamed. You may feel that you want to take care of it yourself or that you have no one to turn to. Nevertheless, if you can, it’s a good idea to tell someone you trust about your situation. This can hasten any change while also offering you greater support.
If you’re at school and you or a friend are being bullied, you can talk to your teacher, the school counsellor or any other adult working at the school. You can also talk to your parents, who can then contact the school. If you’re an adult and you notice that a child is being bullied at school, you can contact the staff. Schools are legally obligated to have a plan in place for dealing with bullying.
Sweden has no legislation on bullying in the workplace, but in March 2016, new provisions on the organizational and social work environment came into force. These set out the employer’s responsibility in relation to victimization. Among other things, employers are responsible for the prevention of victimization.
If your mental health starts to worsen, it’s important that you seek help. You can contact your healthcare centre or a psychiatric outpatient clinic. If you’re feeling so low that you’re having suicidal thoughts, don’t delay, seek immediate medical attention at a psychiatric emergency clinic or call 112.
If the bullying leads to you becoming a victim of crime, you should report the matter to the police. It could be classed as assault, hate crime or defamation. Contact the police for advice.
Showing moral courage and intervening when someone else is being targeted is important to help put a stop to bullying in society. It’s better to act in some way than to turn a blind eye. You can help the person being bullied in different ways, such as by telling the bully to stop, asking an adult for help or telling someone what happened after the event. You can also provide moral support by always greeting or sitting next to someone sitting alone.
Reviewed by: Ylva Bjereld, associate professor of social work, University of Gothenburg.
Last edited 2024-01-15