'at the risk of being accused of blaming the victim'

Oh please don't. I cant bear to look. There is no worse crime one could be accused of. Aside from a 'denier' I suppose.

The first initiative of the anti-bullying program was to convince people they were being bullied...

It's OK Houllebecq, my dog is trained to attack anybody carrying a clipboard on sight. I guess I'll have to lock him up around census time...

You may recall I related a story of my daughter a little while ago, who missed a heap of school last year due to her mother choosing to take her to attend "counselling". When I asked my daughter what she was having such a big problem with that she needed this extensive "counselling" her answer was "I didn't know I needed it until I went". Naturally, as a 14 year old girl, an adult prepared to listen uncritically and individually to one expressing pubescent angst for an hour or so made her feel pretty special.

Funnily enough, after I rang the counsellor and asked just why it was necesary for mu child to miss school and suggested that I should take her to properly qualified child psychologist if she was so seriously damaged the sessions stopped the next week. I can't imagine why...

Dear Antiseptic,

I can see that we're going to have to agree to disagree on this issue.
I don't view bullying as simply conflict between people (like having a fight) or disliking someone, even though people might bully each other because of conflict or dislike. Bullying to me as I've stated
previously is when someone repeatedly and intentionally uses words or actions against someone to deliberately cause harm and distress and risk to their wellbeing. These actions are usually done by people
who have more influence or power over someone else, or who want to make someone else feel helpless. It goes on - and the fact that so
few cases as you claim, were found to be genuine - shows that the system is working or that there could be a variety of other reasons for why this is the case. As you pointed out - the law is not perfect,
that's why the statue of justice wears a blindfold. However - I stand by the fact that reported cases need to be investigated and not simply brushed aside that people complaining of bullying are simply,
in your words - "pansies," (whatever that means).

Lexi, people who make fun of bullied people have never been bullied themselves, or are bullies themselves.

The fact we have laws for workplace bullying set in place, means we must have had a significant bullying problem in workplaces.

I don't really take any notice of people being negative about such laws, as long as the laws help bully victims get justice.

Why should it matter to anyone else, as long as they aren't bullies that is?

Hi Lexi,

Truth is both sides have valid points. Nobody likes to see anybody picked on or bullied. The best thing i saw a few months ago was the boy who was being bullied at soon finally had enough and dumped the kid bullying him on the ground.

Its also true one unions are involved they create jobs and often encourage people to complain about A B C.

If you meet a real there is only one thing to do- -the same as the young boy did ad walk out- go find another job.

Thats the only language they understand.

Kerryanne

>> The best thing i saw a few months ago was the boy who was being bullied at soon finally had enough and dumped the kid bullying him on the ground. <<

I took care of a bully in a similar fashion at school when I had had enough.

That type of retaliation (physical) does not work in the workplace irrespective of whether the bully is a colleague or one's boss. Reporting to human resources may work in a large corporation where there are sufficient resources, in a small business all the victim can do is leave before the behaviour intensifies. There was a reprehensible case in Melbourne about a year ago, where a young woman was bullied to the point where she suicided.

http://tinyurl.com/3k8amsu

This is a serious and fraught topic.

Antiseptic, as the author of this thread I did not understand the relevance in your last post about your teenage daughter. Did she complain of being bullied at school? The teen years are very difficult where young people are trying to be accepted by their peers and at the same time learning to be independent. She may not need a psychologist but just someone she can trust and talk to.