HealLift - 09 Oct 2023
How to create a Supportive Workplace for Employee Mental Health
Insights from WHO's Mental Health at Work Policy
Heal Lift
Healing begins when you choose to take care of yourself and begin to self-love
Bullying leaves marks far beyond visible bruises, creating invisible scars that linger and affect well-being, self-esteem, and trust in others. In Sri Lanka, nearly 47% of children report experiencing bullying in or around school at least once a month. Globally, studies have shown that victims of bullying are at a higher risk of mental health struggles, and Sri Lanka's children are no exception.
Bullying isn't limited to the schoolyard, it shows up in workplaces, homes, and increasingly, online. Each setting brings unique forms of bullying, but the emotional toll is similar across contexts.
School Bullying: Where It Often Begins
Schools are the most common settings associated with bullying, and it can manifest in many forms - physical, verbal, and psychological. In Sri Lanka, 30% of students report being regularly mocked or made fun of, and 13% say they feel threatened by their classmates. These experiences can create a culture of fear and insecurity, impacting students' mental health and academic performance.
How We Can Step Up in Schools
- Create Awareness Programs: Schools can implement anti-bullying awareness sessions where students learn to recognize and report bullying behavior.
- Encourage Peer Support: Schools can establish peer mentoring programs where older students help younger ones feel safe, particularly in vulnerable situations like breaks or transitions between classes.
- Train Teachers: Equipping teachers with skills to spot and address bullying in its early stages is crucial. Training should include strategies for intervening sensitively and supporting both victims and perpetrators with empathy and counseling.
Cyberbullying: The Silent Threat
Cyberbullying is a newer form of bullying, but it's on the rise globally. With increased internet access in Sri Lanka, particularly during the pandemic, online harassment has surged. The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Response Team (SLCERT) reported that 15,000 online abuse cases were recorded in 2021 alone, with about 8,000 related to cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can range from sending hurtful messages to spreading rumors and doctored images on social media. The unique aspect of cyberbullying is its persistence - it follows victims into their personal spaces, affecting them even in what should be their safe zones.
How We Can Step Up Against Cyberbullying
- Promote Digital Literacy: Schools and communities can teach responsible internet use and digital etiquette from an early age to help students navigate online interactions safely.
- Encourage Reporting: Children and parents should know how to report cyberbullying incidents on platforms like Facebook or Instagram. Additionally, they can report to SLCERT or school authorities.
- Parental Supervision: While respecting privacy, parents can take an active role in monitoring younger children's online activities to recognize any early signs of cyberbullying.
Workplace Bullying: A Silent Epidemic Among Adults
Bullying doesn't stop when we leave school; it often reappears in workplaces. Workplace bullying can be subtle, making it harder to address. Common forms include spreading rumors, withholding important information, excessive criticism, and social exclusion. This behavior can create a toxic work environment, leading to high turnover, stress, and even physical health problems.
In Sri Lanka, where a strong sense of hierarchy exists in many workplaces, younger employees may feel particularly vulnerable to bullying from superiors. They may hesitate to report mistreatment due to fear of retaliation or job loss.
How We Can Step Up in the Workplace
- Establish Clear Policies: Companies should have strict anti-bullying policies that include definitions of unacceptable behavior and procedures for reporting incidents confidentially.
- Promote an Inclusive Culture: Fostering a work culture where employees feel respected and valued helps prevent bullying behaviors.
- Provide Support Systems: Access to mental health resources, such as counseling and Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), can support those affected by workplace bullying.
Family Bullying: When Home Isn't Safe
Families are supposed to be places of love and safety, but bullying can sometimes come from those closest to us. Family bullying can include verbal abuse, constant criticism, manipulation, and even physical aggression. In Sri Lanka, societal norms sometimes downplay these behaviors, especially when they come from elder family members. However, family bullying can have long-lasting effects on mental health, affecting children's development and self-esteem well into adulthood.
How We Can Step Up at Home
- Encourage Open Communication: Families can create safe spaces where everyone feels heard. Encouraging children to express their feelings without fear helps reduce power imbalances.
- Teach Conflict Resolution: Parents can model and teach positive ways to manage disagreements that don't involve criticism or aggression.
- Seek External Help if Needed: If family dynamics become too challenging, seeking family counseling or mental health support can provide neutral guidance to rebuild a safe environment at home.
Moving Forward: The Role of Empathy and Support
The scars of bullying, whether from school, work, family, or online, are hard to heal alone. Research shows that individuals who have support - friends, family, counselors, or mentors, are more resilient in the face of bullying. A study by UNICEF found that victims who confided in someone experienced significantly less emotional distress. Simply being able to share their story can be a first step toward healing.
Whether it's offering a listening ear, reporting abusive behavior, or creating safe spaces, we all have a role to play in ending the cycle of bullying across all spheres of life. Healing is possible, and every supportive action brings those impacted one step closer to recovery.
Creating a Culture of Kindness
Bullying is more than just words or actions; it's a trauma that requires time, empathy, and community support to heal. As a society, we can work toward fostering environments - both online and offline, that are kinder and safer for everyone. Whether it's through listening, offering a helping hand, or standing up against bullying, we can help those impacted by bullying move beyond the bruises and reclaim their lives.
Lastly, if you are a victim, here's your call to reach out for help; you're not alone!
Passionate writer, educator, and literary researcher with a zeal for storytelling and fostering learning.
Last update: 2023-06-20
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Last update: 2023-06-20
This Privacy Policy describes how https://heallift.com ("Heallift," "we," or "us") collects, uses, and discloses information about you when you access or use our websites and mobile applications (collectively, the "Services"), as well as when you contact our customer service team, interact with us on social media, or otherwise interact with us. This policy does not apply to subscription eligibility information we receive and process on behalf of our enterprise business customers and partners (referred to as "Customer Data" in the applicable agreement), but it does apply to your use of the Services regardless of your subscription or account type.
We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Statement at any time. If we make changes, we will notify you by changing the date at the top of the policy, and in some situations, we may provide you with additional notice (for example, by adding a statement to our website homepage or emailing you a notification). We encourage you to read the Privacy Policy anytime you access the Services or engage with us in any other way to stay aware of our information practices and the options available to you.
When you register for an account, participate in interactive features, fill out a form or a survey, enter a contest or promotion, make a purchase, communicate with us through social media sites, request customer support, or otherwise, we collect information. Examples of the information you may provide include your name, email, password, street address, payment method information, moods and reflections you provide during check-ins, feedback and survey responses, and other information about you included within your messages to us or otherwise provided via the Services. Some users also provide health-related information in connection with providing feedback or other messages to us, and we process that information consistently with the purpose for which it was provided.
We collect the following information about you when you use our Services.
We gather usage information whenever you use our Services, such as the sessions you use, the audios you listen to, the screens or features you access, and other similar forms of usage information.
When you make a purchase or return, we collect transaction information such as product description, price, subscription or free trial expiration date, and transaction time and date.
When you use our Services, we gather standard log files that contain the type of web browser you use, app version, access times and dates, pages seen, your IP address, and the page you visited before navigating to our websites.
We gather information about the computer or mobile device that you use to access our Services, such as the hardware model, operating system and version, device IDs assigned by your device's operating system, and mobile network information (such as your connection type, carrier, and region).
We may record phone or video calls with your permission on occasion, such as in connection with our coaching program or when you give us feedback or market research.
Based on other information we have acquired, we produce some information about you. For example, like other platforms, we use your IP address to determine your device's approximate location. We also use your initial name to make an informed guess about your gender, and information about your behavior to assist in determining the chance that you will continue to use our Services in the future.
We collect information through a variety of technologies, including cookies and web beacons. For further information, please visit our Cookie Policy.
We also collect information about you from third-party app stores where you install our app or purchase a subscription, as well as names and contact information from third-party calendar services. Furthermore, if you register or log into your account via a social media service account, we will have access to some information from that account, such as your name and other account information, in line with the authorization processes established by that social media service. Finally, we may collect information about you through public sources, marketing and advertising partners, consumer research platforms, and/or business contact databases.
We utilize the data we collect to:
We disclose information about you in the following ways, as specified in this Privacy Statement or at the time of collection:
We allow third parties to offer statistics and show adverts on our behalf throughout the web and
in mobile applications. These entities collect information about your use of the Services and other websites and
online services using cookies, web beacons, device identifiers, and other technologies, such as your IP address,
device identifiers, web browser, mobile network information, pages viewed, time spent on pages or in apps, links
clicked, and conversion information. Heallift and others may use your information to analyze and track data,
gauge the popularity of specific content, present advertising and content tailored to your interests on our
Services and other websites and online services, and better understand your online activities.
You may block advertising cookies by using our cookie options manager.
Heallift is situated in the United States and processes data there, which may not provide the same degree of privacy protection as your local state.
You can edit your account information (such as your password, name, and email address) by signing into your account or contacting us via our Help Center at support@heallift.com. If you desire to deactivate your account, please email us at support@heallift.com, but keep in mind that we are obligated or permitted by law to maintain some information. We also keep cached or archived versions of your information for a set length of time.
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We deliver promotional and other push notifications to your mobile device with your permission. You can turn off these messages at any moment by altering your mobile device's notification settings.
We honor the exercise of the right of access or deletion for all of our users, regardless of their location, subject to specific legal limits and conditions. This right may be used by any Heallift user by contacting us at support@heallift.com.
If you use our Services while in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, or the European Economic Area (collectively, "Europe"), the parts below apply to you.
We will process your personal information under the following circumstances:
We keep personal data for no longer than is required for the purposes for which it is processed unless relevant law demands longer keeping.
You have the following legal rights, subject to certain limitations and conditions:
If you want to exercise any of these rights but are unable to do so through the Services or your device, please contact us as described below.
Please contact us at support@heallift.com if you have any queries regarding this Privacy Policy.