Bullying is associated with elementary school and high school. It is thought of as something that children do to one another and eventually grow out of. Various studies on workplace bullying have shown this idea to be false, yet very few studies have been aimed at university students. Why is this?
One study done in British Columbia in 2014 shows that approximately one in five undergraduate students has been cyberbullied (Carr). An unnamed student said, ‘“[I was called] a ‘spoiled little rich bitch,’ mocked [for] my bulimia in public messages to others on Facebook, messaged… multiple times [that] my boyfriend was cheating on me [and] that I was nothing more than a ‘clingy bitch, slut and loser’” (Carr). However, no studies have been done about the face-to-face bullying Canadian post-secondary students receive from their peers.
According to Overcome Bullying, a supportive site for all ages, adult bullying “harms your self-confidence and provides you with stress both mentally and physically. That stress can develop into anxiety and depression.” With the amount of focus now being put on mental health in universities across Canada, it is time to look at all of the factors involved even if they make us uncomfortable.
If you or anyone you know is a victim of bullying, there are many ways to reach out. If turning to friends and family isn’t an option, the University of Windsor Peer Support Centre or Campus Police are available to help.