Thursday, August 26, 2010

He, She or Bully?


It’s funny how we as humans judge things before actually testing or trying out. *points at the rest of you shaking your head saying, “I don’t do that.”* I am referring to myself right now. When I first joined Twitter, it was entirely for blog exposure, and had no desire to learn about snippets of people’s lives as I stated in an earlier post about Twitter.

I read things I probably would never hear about. Today, I read a disturbing article about a man, Kevin Morrissey - Today Show, who committed suicide supposedly due to relentless bullying by his boss. It isn’t a definite the boss drove him to his death, but an investigation is underway. Boss bullying happens more than most want to admit, and with the weak economy, bosses are taking advantage of the situation.

I posted this since bullying seems to become widespread branching out into all ages and intellect. We hear about teenagers bullying others to the point of suicide, mass school shootings by those tortured by bullies, and now grown adults bullying employees. Have we lost all respect for humanity? Are we instilling abuse in younger generations?

I feel it’s a serious issue to understand so we can treat. What are your thoughts about bullying? Do you think it’s worsening over the years?

6 comments:

  1. I am not sure if bullying worsens over the years... at least, not around me.

    But I am more concerned with what behind the bullying. I wonder what happened? Is bullying some kind of "vent-out" of life's hardening pressure or something? Does it really work?

    Haha I impose more questions instead of answering existing ones :p

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  2. Hello Rizal,

    I would guess the questions you pose go hand in hand with bullying. Those are some of the questions that would need answering to try and mend the problem.

    I'm glad you brought up additional questions. :D This subject isn't easily answered.

    Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

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  3. It's interesting that the woman on the today show brought up the whole passive aggressive thing. I'll bet that is a huge factor in many cases.

    And speaking of judging, I am guilty of doing just that with the news story. The guy who committed suicide looked like a genuinely nice guy, but the one pic they put up of the boss was scary. Though I'll be the first to admit there are two sides to every story, so we don't know what all went on, but ultimately Kevin took his own life, and that is just so sad. :(

    Mud

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  4. Mud,

    Yes, I recall her mentioning passive aggressive, and I’m sure that’s how many people stay on the fine line of responsibility.

    We’re all guilty of judging and sometimes, as you’ve pointed out, it’s only based on appearance. I think the boss's disregard for any responsibility is what made me feel he is guilty. For someone to dismiss the situation shows a lack of emotion. You are right though, there are always two sides, and all information should be taken into consideration before the gavel hits.

    It is sad that Kevin felt suicide was the way out of the situation.

    Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

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  5. Bea,
    This is a topic important to all of us. I’m sure we all have been subject to some form of bullying and perhaps know of someone who has with serious consequences. I think bullying has become a problem that can no longer be ignored. It needs to be addressed in the schools and the places of employment at least to the same priority level as sexual harassment by requiring mandatory training programs. It would be good to have some church sermons about the subject as well They should not be just any programs, but rather those designed by professionals that have proven successful in the past. I believe that to be successful the training programs must be educational in:
    1.Understanding bullying by its psychological cause and purpose.
    2.Realization that to stop being bullied starts with the person being abused.
    3.Strategies of self defense and offense that work against unethical, uncooperative or unpleasant people from running and ruining your life.
    4.Knowing when it’s necessary to seek help, what type of help and from whom?

    Thanks for the topic and opportunity to voice my opinions!

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  6. Veejay,

    It’s true about many of us being subjected to bullying or knows someone. It is a serious matter, and I wholeheartedly agree it is on the same level as sexual harassment. Your education training points are a great start. I especially agree with number two. Nothing can be done, if no one is aware. Maybe you should start training companies regarding bullying. :D

    Thanks for stopping by, and you’ll always have a voice here that’s what it’s all about.

    Take care.
    Bea

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