By BulliesOut
Bullying behaviour can be deemed an offence under the Equality Act 2010. Harassment forms part of the act and as most bullying behaviours can be also be deemed harassment, it means that behaviour can be deemed unlawful.
It is important to be aware of both overt and covert signs of bullying behaviour that could be causing you harassment, alarm or distress. Significantly the covert signs are often overlooked. In a workplace survey completed by Slater and Gordon in 2015, a quarter of those surveyed believed some of the behaviours displayed were just a part of what had to be accepted about their workplaces.
The impact of bullying upon mental health is huge. It impacts us both mentally and physically and so it is more important than ever to be able to recognise the signs in order to do something about them.
Overt:
∙ Does someone display verbal or physical aggression towards you?
∙ Do you feel constantly harassed?
∙ Has anyone physically hurt you on purpose?
∙ Have any of your personal belongings been purposely damaged?
∙ Are you receiving nasty emails and/or text messages?
∙ Does anyone make nasty comments to or about you?
Covert:
∙ Are you being made fun of for how you look or act?
∙ Do you feel isolated?
∙ Are you purposely excluded from a group?
∙ Has anyone spread untrue rumours or gossip about you?
∙ Do you ever feel that someone you believed to be a friend is trying to control you? ∙ Do you ever feel anxious and afraid about going to school/work?
The more questions you answer yes to, the more likely it is you are being bullied. The first thing to understand is no-one deserves to be bullied and you have the right to be safe. Secondly, you are not alone. There are people who are able to help you. Thirdly, it is important to talk to a trusted friend/parent/colleague and tell them what has been going on.
If you need support dealing with any of the behaviours detailed above please get in touch with us https://bulliesout.com/
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