Bullying is an issue

The problems is, teachers and other people who've never experienced long term bullying don't know what it's like from the point of view of an emotionally fragile victim.

Most people experience someone trying to bully them by saying and doing unpleasant things but they have the strength to fight back or ignore it.

The bullies then leave them alone because they aren't getting any satisfaction out of it, or they're afraid of their intended victim fighting back some more, and their target isn't troubled.

People who can't empathise with fragile victims don't understand the seriousness of the bullying they're being subjected to and it's the fragile victims who are deeply troubled by the bullying who the bullies enjoy constantly targeting.

These victims tend to believe they really are as worthless as the bullies try to make them feel and they don't tell anyone what's happening to them and that they have a problem.

Schools are so wrapped up in targets and making themselves look good statistically they often neglect the emotional wellbeing of their students and, when someone is being bullied and doesn't say, the staff don't see the signs because they don't know what they should be looking out for and haven't the time to think about it.

Bullying is an issue all schools and employers should be more aware of. Not just dealing with it when victims report it, but seeing the signs of it when they're not being directly told about it.

John05