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Bullying: Negate Harmful Long-Term Effects

July 26, 20141

Bullying: Negate Harmful Long-Term Effects

A new study by Duke Medicine highlights something we already knew would be true: bullying has potential negative long-term psychological impacts on both the bullied individual and the bully.

Jeanine Joy’s upcoming book, Stress Kills: Happiness Heals highlights the link between emotional state and behavior. We also understand:

  • How to mitigate the negative long-term psychological impacts for both the victim and the bully.
  • How to facilitate post traumatic growth.
  • How to build the bridge between the mental outlook of victim to a stronger and surer mindset that portrays inner strength that is authentic, and
  • How to help a bully find more socially acceptable behaviors and address the underlying bad feeling emotions that lead to bullying in the first place.

The potential psychological impacts of being bullied and being a bully, according to Duke’s study, include a higher risk for psychiatric disorders than those with no history of being bullied, higher risk of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, panic disorders. Those who were bullied but did not bully were at risk of agoraphobia while those who were bullies and victims also had the highest level of suicidal thoughts and were at increased risk for antisocial personality disorder.

But just like situations, individual results vary. At Happiness 1st Institute, our work has been to investigate what causes thriving in spite of negative life events and build bridges to increase thriving in the world. Our focus has placed us in the perfect position to address this issue and take meaningful steps to prevent the negative long-term impacts of negative life events like being bullied and of bullying.

Our understanding of the link between emotional state and behavior also gives us insights into tools that can help the bully (and potential bully) make adjustments that can prevent that sort of behavior from beginning (or end it if it has already started). We can also empower potential victims so that they are less likely to be bullied and so that they have emotionally healthier responses even if they are.

Jeanine Joy developed an anti-bullying program that has provided some amazing results. Suitable for both middle and high school environments. She provides programs to schools at a much lower cost than her usual fee and can also do work using grant funds via the non-profit (Achieve Affinity) she co-founded to expand her work into areas that cannot afford her services through Happiness 1st Institute.

The answers exist. It is time to use that wisdom to make the world a better place for all. Let us help. Contact us today.

 


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The Real Solution to Undesired Behaviors

July 26, 20140

Why I don’t focus on helping one group

The knowledge I’ve gained in my journey has benefits that can be applied in so many ways. I think the ways are actually endless.

My work might appeal to more people if I structured the programs with narrower names or missions.

There are many programs that grab attention because they are aimed at helping “Politically Correct” groups. Programs designed to help women and/or girls. Programs designed to help the economically disadvantaged or other groups—there are too many sub-groups to even begin listing them.

But every time I see something that focuses on one group, it feels to me as if they are pushing against other groups.

I just saw what looked like a fantastic program to help women and girls but within the description it spoke about a program to help boys and men learn not to treat women and girls badly.

At its essence, it is divisive. It feels “off” to me.

It does not recognize that someone who mistreats another is unhappy. If that person were happier, they would not do as they are doing. Behavior is tied to emotional stance and no amount of education about “proper” behavior will change that basic truth. When we address the root-the emotional state-we will see the progress we seek.

The solutions to all social problems is a better world for all.

The person who mistreats another is not someone who is in an emotionally good state of mind.

If someone is being a bully they are in emotional pain. They would not treat another that way if they were in a good emotional state of mind.

For anyone who feels good emotionally it feels worse to treat another poorly. But when someone feels emotionally bad, especially if they feel powerless, they can feel somewhat better by asserting power over another. It is not the preferred path to feeling better and it will never take anyone all the way to joy, but it can offer relief from a totally powerless state of mind. We need to understand this, as a society, a world society, and give the knowledge and tools to all.

We need to give both the aggressors and the victims tools to move from low and powerless feeling emotional states to more empowered states of mind. Knowledge and tools that allow them to move in the direction of feeling better in socially acceptable ways is the solution will solve the problem.

Continuing to create divisiveness is not the solution. It may bring temporary ease to many who need it but it will not eliminate the problem. We could be giving permanent solutions with the same resources.


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