Lead the way Issue 54 April 2023 Estate Living April Edition 2023 | Page 54

COMMUNITY LIVING

How you can deal with bullying on estates

GET ON TOP OF BULLYING NOW

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Bullying is a worldwide problem , and estimates show that every year more than a billion children experience some form of violence , particularly in school . But bullying doesn ’ t only manifest in the school environment .
Bullying is becoming a concern in residential estates , with a growing number of exasperated parents reporting the incidents to estate managers . If you ’ re a manager who has experienced an increase in the reports of bullying on estates , you ’ re not alone . But what ’ s the best way to manage this ?
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Here Dean McCoubrey , founder of MySociaLife , which teaches modern life skills at schools , offers some advice on how this intergenerational problem can be addressed .
Proving it
One of the most difficult things to do when it comes to bullying is proving that the action occurred , particularly if it ’ s verbal abuse . ‘ It ’ s hard to prove because often victims are fearful and they are scared to talk for fear of repercussions because they have been so traumatised . In some cases , they think they are in the wrong or that there is something wrong with them .
‘ Bullies are also very good at hiding their intimidation . Even if estates have cameras , from the recordings of