Bullying can happen anywhere, not only in schools and the workplace.
It also happens among people with disabilities who work and seek treatment at area social agencies, according to county Sheriff Joseph G. Groody.
"There's nobody who's born perfect. We all have our own disabilities. And if you make fun of someone else's disabilities, that's bullying," Groody said Monday morning to more than 70 people gathered for a presentation at the Avenues Workshop, 1755 W. Market St., Pottsville.
Avenues is a nonprofit organization that provides services to people who have physical or acquired disabilities. Formerly United Cerebral Palsy, it has served Schuylkill County since 1952.
Every month, the staff at Avenues hosts a training seminar for the people they serve. This month, Avenues asked Groody to come in to speak about bullying, according to Jill Morgan, an Avenues program specialist.
"This is just a general training, something different for them than the regular training person that comes in," Morgan said.
But bullying can occur among its clients, she said.
"But there's nothing out of the ordinary, general picking on one another. Feelings can get hurt very easily," Morgan said.
Groody offered the crowd definitions of bullying:
- Bullying occurs when someone repeatedly, and on purpose, says or does mean or hurtful things to another person who has a hard time defending himself or herself.
- Such abuse can be emotional, verbal or physical.
- Direct bullying can include physical aggression, which can include shoving, poking, slapping, choking, kicking and throwing things. It can also include name calling or written communications, or cyber bullying.
- Indirect bullying, or social aggression, can include spreading gossip; ignorance that includes excluding others from social activities; criticizing another's dress, race, religion or disabilities; or making someone a victim by staring, giggling, laughing or just saying certain words or expressions to trigger a reaction from a past event.
"Effects of bullying can be very serious and even fatal," Groody said.
Research suggests individuals, both children and adults, who are persistently subjected to abusive behavior are at risk of stress-related illness which can sometimes lead to suicide, Groody said.
Groody offered suggestions to people who are being bullied:
- Tell an adult, someone who can be trusted, including parents, teachers, police or coaches. "If you have a problem, go to the staff. If you're amongst each other, try to help each other out. If you see one of your friends being bullied, you help them out or tell the staff. If you know someone is picking on someone all day long, you go see the staff and you tell them," Groody said.
- Stand up to the bully. "This doesn't mean you should fight back or bully them, but instead tell the bully to stop in a calm voice and then walk away," Groody said.
- If a person is being bullied online, they shouldn't reply to the bully sending the messages. Instead, they should blacklist or unfriend the sender to block the messages, but save the evidence, then tell an adult, Groody said.