What about power?
Bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence are all abuses of power.
We all have some power in our lives to choose what we do and how we act.
We cannot own power and we are not born with it. We can see power in use through our actions, our choices and the way we talk.
Power can be used and abused. We can use power in many ways. And anyone, at times, may use power badly.
Power is affected by:
* personal choice – like choosing the way we want to act or the music we want to listen to
* the positions or roles we have – you could have power as captain of a netball team or as an older brother or sister
* social factors – how you behave and the type of power you use with your family can be very different to how you behave with your friends
* our understanding about what is 'right', 'fair' or 'just'. We can make a choice to change things we think are unfair (or choose to allow them to happen).
"Big people aren't the only ones with power and I feel good that big people don't have all the power."...Year 5 student
The role of power
Power by itself is neither positive nor negative. We all need power over our own lives and our relationships. However, this power can be unequal, and it can be used to damage others.
Power imbalances underpin all instances of verbal, physical and emotional abuse and bullying as well as gendered, homophobic and racist violence and harassment.
Power within and between groups is socially and historically constructed, supported and maintained to advance the rights of some over the rights of others. This power can change according to the situation.
Once a person or group attains a position of power, beliefs and ideas can develop that justify their actions. This sometimes leads to abuse of power.
All human beings have the potential to bully, harass or discriminate against others to a greater or lesser extent.
Defining the behavioursBullying and harassment are often thought of separately; however both involve a more powerful person or group oppressing a less powerful person or group, often on the grounds of 'difference'.
These differences can be related to culture, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, sexual orientation, ability or disability, religion, body size and physical appearance, age, marital status, parenting status or economic status.
Bullying and harassment * may be physical (hitting, kicking, pinching), verbal (name-calling, teasing), psychological (standover tactics, gestures), social (social exclusion, rumours, putdowns) or sexual (physical, verbal or nonverbal sexual conduct)
* may be done directly (eg face to face) or indirectly (eg via mobiles or the internet)
* may be motivated by jealousy, distrust, fear, misunderstanding or lack of knowledge
* have an element of threat
*
can continue over time
* are often hidden from adults
* will be sustained if adults or peers do not take action.
ImplicationsBullying, harassment, discrimination and violence result in physical damage, psychological damage, intimidation or forced social isolation. These leave the individual or group in fear and limit their options.
These behaviours can exist at every level and across every group part of the organisation, society or school, embedded in the culture as part of its everyday practices. Therefore it is not helpful to target a particular person or group as 'the problem to be fixed', or to work on isolated factors alone.
What Can We Do About IT?http://www.bullyingnoway.com.au/ideasbox/
