Bullying

Bullying cases have been very prominent lately in the news. Unfortunately, labelling them this way obscures the reality of the situation and diminishes the perceived severity of actions against a victim.

Even with all of the attention provided by the media, when we hear the word bullying, most of us still get the image of a schoolyard bully pushing around smaller kids. This is a normal part of growing up. What isn't however, is the types of activity that reaches the news...this is not bullying, it constitutes criminal activity and the media and public would do well to label these better.

Here in Canada, we have had many cases of "bullying" which are reported in the media as such. The problem is that the acts committed were not bullying, they were acts of criminal harassment, breaches of various anti-stalking legislation and assault. The US and many other countries have had similar issues recently and the same problem exists there.

Add to this, these activities are also being reported in the workplace....not a new phenomenon, but disturbing in that these have traditionally been cases of workplace harassment and intimidation, which have now morphed into schoolyard hijinks. They are not.

The victims of these types of behaviours are not new, and are most certainly not victims of mild bullying activities. Compounding the unfortunate label these people now have surrounding their victimization, is the fact that there is still no real ability for law enforcement to initiate investigations into the majority of these cases due to lack of resources and low reporting.

This is where a private investigator can come in and make a difference. With dedicated resources, a PI can put together the relevant facts, conduct interviews and prepare a case package for follow up by employers, schools or law enforcement to assist in stopping these activities and providing relief to a victim.

If you or someone you know is a victim of these types of crimes, there are a variety of local resources you can find online. If you need to move forward with an investigation, you can always start with your local police to at least open a criminal complaint. Once open, you can contact a local private investigator for more information on how they can help out for your individual case.

Blog post is courtesy Elemental Investigations: Private Investigator Edmonton, an Edmonton, Canada based private investigator agency. They can be found online at www.elementalpi.ca