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A Quote for Ethical viewpoints when dealing with bullying

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A Quote for Ethical viewpoints when dealing with bullying

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"Some say to ‘suck it up,’ get on with the task at hand and steer clear of people whose behaviour is rude or malicious, whilst others feel that negative comments, or being told they aren’t good enough, are personal slights that amount to being unfairly targeted. It is difficult to reconcile these two opinions, however there needs to be clarity surrounding what bullying is versus somebody making an isolated derogatory comment."

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A few things to remember when you read this article. I ran a totally voluntary and anonymous survey several months ago about mental health in the horse industry. A few disclaimers - this isn't a formal scientific study. The information is for awareness and not to make assumptions, such as "if you work in the horse industry you will become depressed." And, while the numbers are interesting, the comments are more telling. Do take the time to read through to the end.

I received 181 responses to the survey. Most of the respondents are currently working in the horse industry or had worked in the horse industry, although 40 participants don't work in the horse industry but are involved with horses. I've included them in the "big picture" results.

I also have a few tidbits of survey results when I asked about harassment and assault in the horse industry, those results are here.

The big picture:

58% of all people responding have mental health challenges.

22% of all people responding might have mental health challenges.

Out of this group, only 62% sought medical attention and diagnosis.

The top three conditions, which are often concurrent, of those diagnosed, are:

83% Depression

77% Anxiety

28% Panic Attacks

Now let's look at only current and former horse industry workers.

56.8% Have mental health challenges

24.2% Might have mental health challenges

19% Do not have mental health challenges

Of this group,

56.3% Sought medical attention and diagnosis.

43.8% Did not seek medical attention and diagnosis.

But why not? The top reasons for not seeking medical attention and diagnosis are:

46.2% Did not think it was needed.

25.6% Afraid someone would find out.

15.4% Not allowed time off from work.

What were the most common diagnoses? Again, these often are concurrent.

11.1% Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

11.1% Body Dysmorphic Disorder

91.1% of those diagnosed received treatment and care.

Then I asked EVERYONE some questions about mental health and the horse industry in general.

Is there a stigma about mental health in the horse industry?

The other 3.4% were a slew of creative answers, which I'll share.

Yes - in that ALL "horse people" are "crazy." Owners are excused from a great deal of behavior because they're just "crazy horse people."

No more or less than the stigma anywhere else. Truly unstable individuals actually seem to be MORE accepted amongst the "racetrack family" than they are in society in general.

We're all mad here. (Very clever, Cheshire Cat)

I don't think it's a stigma but it is recognized

Maybe no more than any other industry

On to another question about the lifestyle and working conditions in the horse industry.

How does the horse industry lifestyle contribute to the mental health of those that work with horses? Multiple choices were allowed here.

61.8% Impression that the horse industry looks down on Grooms, hot walkers, stall cleaners, etc.

51.1% Emotional toll of sick, injured, lame horses

50.6% Not respected by the employer

39.3% Jealousy of others with fancier horses, better jobs, more of what you want

36% Competitive nature of horse shows

34.8% Emotional toll of horses bought and sold

32% Illegal employment practices

31.5% Stigma of mental health

29.8% Demanding travel schedules

25.3% Harassment by employers

24.7% Scandals in the horse world

15.2% Harassment by a co-worker

And here were your suggestions for what to do about it:

Allow your employees the time and insurance to make it happen!

Work on changing attitudes about mental health.

Encourage employees to take PTO and practice self-care

Support with adequate Time off and insurance to cover it

Talk more about it and be more open.

Talk about it more and make the pressures of working as a groom aware to the bosses

Educate and emphasis kindness and compassion when interacting with those suffering

Be open to mental health discussion and offer workshops with sports psychologists and other counselors.

Treat their grooms better, most are overworked and greatly mistreated. Or at least pay them a salary that fits all the craziness they go through.

Make decisions and policies based on logic instead of emotion.

It's not just the horse industry that judges and doesn't understand, etc.,

Have a larger focus on sport psychology

Culture needs to change. "You should be grateful just to work with horses every day!" Well, grateful doesn't pay my bills. It doesn't get me 8 hours of sleep a night. It doesn't give me a healthy diet, take care of me when I get injured or keep me from turning to alcohol in order to cope. The idea of grooming or even just mucking stalls as a low/no-skills job needs to change to. I think any real horseperson can tell you - even the simple jobs still require knowledge and skills to do, and too many employers think they can just hire the next random person in the chain. The normalization and even glorification of alcoholism (and other substance abuse disorders) in the equestrian industry is also a HUGE problem.

I realized I had more to say! Many horse jobs require that you live on site, often in close quarters with other employees - leading to a lack of separation between work life and personal life that is a horrible mental health situation for many. It also leads to a lot of situations where when you DO get a rare day off, you still end up getting pulled in to work for "just this one thing." Which spirals into more things... if you want to get a real day off you practically have to go check yourself into a hotel to get any peace and quiet and of course, none of us can really afford to do that. There's this assumption that if you want to work in the horse industry it means you automatically forfeit any other hobbies and interests and parts of your social life. NO ONE should be putting all their eggs in one basket - whether your other hobbies are going out to eat or quilting or going out dancing or playing MMOs or just gossipping with your non-horsey friends it's an important part of your mental health to be able to have some time to spend on those things and any therapist or doctor worth their salt will tell you so. It's not healthy for your job to be your only hobby - a lot of people working in artistic fields have this problem too, and a lot of the literature on it is regarding those fields, but it's eminently applicable to the horse industry as well. Your life can't be only one thing, and the whole of equestrian culture, and especially many employers seem to think it should be. (Of course, many of those same employers seem to have no problem taking time off for their OWN travel and leisure.... sure you work hard, but how about a little appreciation for all the hard work *I* do?) There are plenty of other industries that have managed to balance tough long hours/potential injuries/living on the job conditions with equally good perks - industrial jobs like working on oil rigs have high base pay and have perks like three weeks on/two weeks off to make up for how demanding the work is. A lot of these industrial type jobs are also unionized - and workers who aren't union still get the quality of life benefits that union workers fought for. I don't think asking the horse industry to unionize is necessarily realistic - it's too wide, and there's far too much illegal employment - but it's worth considering how a few people fighting for these types of benefits can eventually change the whole culture of an industry so that everyone has a better deal. (The film industry is like this too - the hours are crazy long but there are protections in place, like wait times before you can start shooting again after wrapping for the day, and mandatory breaks for lunch, that generally hold even when filming in right to work areas because it's so much the norm.) We can't change EVERYONE but there needs to start being some kind of change, and not just at the top.

They can talk about it the same way they are talking about harassment through SafeSport training. I think they should have something mandatory that is similar to this.

Honestly not sure. People seem to care about a lot in the Horse industry but things don't really end up changing. Change is so so so slow

open their eyes instead of ignoring it

Less exploitation of workers

I'm not honestly sure... the mental health stigma is pervasive throughout society and the horse industry is no different. I don't know that there's an effective way to address this, but I feel that awareness is the first step to acceptance.

Create a non-judgemental environment where people can use their horses as a "safe place" and work towards improving their mental health

I don't feel anything can be done. The horse world is a very tiny bubble which requires a lot of pressure. I think the two go hand in hand.

Be understanding and look for opportunities to have people fit in the right role - much as we try to find the right role for a horse

Just help and support each other - talk to your fellow barn peeps about things whether it be things you are dealing with or if you are noticing something is off.

Being more understanding about having real time off

Not sure there is a problem... maybe get equine facilitated psycho therapy more 'mainstream'.

Get honest especially about how they project their issues onto others

Address racism and punish accordingly.

Be more accepting of all body types

Keep encouraging helmet usage. I believe a lot of these disorders stem from TBI

Horses are used to help people with mental problems

Be open and understanding to the challenges we all face

I would personally love to stop the bullying in the horse industry but as that has been proven hard to do even in other parts of clicks and in world situations.

Take better care of the people at the backside

Offer assistance to those who need it.

Offer a better support/therapy group. Like the BGA

One would be fair treatment of employees.

Personal problem, not an industry problem

Talk more about problems.

Health insurance availability

Screen people tighten up industry.. monitor newcomers.. psychological test...anger manage mentioned...

Educate, educate, educate

Just be more open about it. There is nothing wrong with mental health problems. If I know that somebody is going through this, I would help them and not think they are crazy.

Fight Stigmas, recognize the signs and normalize seeking help. The culture needs to shift

Start talking about it. It's no different than having diabetes or any other chronic illness: it must be treated, sometimes requires daily medication, and is serious. But it's not contagious, so reach out.

Treat employees better and not drive them into the ground. Treat a human as a human.

Challenge people beliefs and assumptions

Keep their heads up and threaten the haters with our 'extremely dangerous' shedding combs.

Open up conversation. Increase insurance.

Better thought and care for their workers

More people could speak out and normalize it. Not stigmatize certain disorders.

I don't think anything as to be a top rider you need to be tough in the mind. Others would view you as weak and your client business would suffer

Talk about it more and get more grooms to join BGA!

Horses give you confidence and calmness

Awareness and education of the mental disorder

Be more open to diversity

Put less pressure on young riders

Put more emphasis on taking care of the people who put so much time, energy and love into the horses. People need to be valued over ribbons.

Address it and offer options

Have more conversations about mental health and change image of what the perfect rider looks like.

Better mental health awareness

Fair pay and understanding of different people

Eventers think about being tough and consider mental health issues a weakness. You can't fix stupid.

Educate non-horse ppl that not all horse ppl are crazy

I also asked if there was anything else to be shared about your experiences in the horse industry.

Those in the horse industry don't have the opportunity to both keep their jobs AND maintain their mental health. It's one or the other.

Not my personal experience but in many stables, working students are overwhelmed and not always treated kindly.

My personal experiences have always been pleasant, but I have a certain natural demeanor that seems to attract good employers. However, I have witnessed a great deal of harassment, gaslighting, neglect, and abuse of employees in this industry and have friends (plural - friendS) that have been negatively affected by this poor treatment. I have one friend whose mental health is so negatively affected by her job that I worry about her personal safety sometimes.

I consider myself, as a female pro groom, blessed to have finally found a decent employer/trainer (also female) to work for. However, it took me several years of being verbally attacked, overworked, underappreciated, and disposable at the first incident of standing up for myself. My employer respects me and my opinion. That said the industry has a long way to go. I'm in California and can say from experience jobs are monopolized by male Mexicans many which are illegal immigrants and many who are not fluent speaking English. I could go on.......I'll end with there are enough positive rewards for me to stay employed where I am.

It can be brutal at times. I've felt the lowest of the low but also on top of the world when new opportunities arise. It is easy to feel replaceable and unappreciated, and I am constantly trying to set myself apart and offer something unique. I have not been able to make this happen yet, and it is really hurting my motivation to succeed. I always feel at risk of being let go.

Since leaving my full time (actually more than full time with all the hours I put in) job to work part time and go to school, I've found that I'm doing far better than when I was working in show barns full time. I feel better being out of the tense, elitist environment that the horse shows created. I'm respected and treated well at my new job and am not looked down on for being a groom and not coming from a wealthy background the way I was when I worked in a show barn. I now work in a different discipline and have found that it was a much-needed change. Currently, I'm investing in my education so that eventually I can work towards my goals as a rider without relying on the hope that I find opportunities to reach those goals through work.

Listen to your intuition. If it feels wrong, it probably is.

Mental health is common in all jobs - or no jobs. Need to give access to health care to anyone who needs it. It is a common illness but can be managed with treatment.

It's just super hard to find the time to provide self-care for yourself when you are literally caring for everyone else around you. The need and want for attention is constant, even when you are off your shift.

My mental illness was not caused by the industry, but it certainly doesn't help

I am in racing. Started as a farm hand, later a groom, exercise rider, pony person, then farm manager and, lastly, a trainer for almost 20 yrs now. The suicide rate among jockeys, esp former jockeys, is astronomical. The suicide rate in professional horsemen seems to be extremely high, as well but is certainly not as high as the rate of alcoholism.

I have witnessed the negative treatment of grooms and employees in a barn. I find mistreatment of anyone, in any industry, reprehensible. I have and would again, call the offender out on it.

Men in the horse industry often disregard women working the same jobs and see (and sometimes refer to) them as 'that crazy horse girl playing with her my little ponies'. <Quote, coming from a woman who has been harassed and assaulted while 'playing with the boys', and has been discriminated against because I was a woman working 'a man's job' (paid less, fired....)

Racism does exist. Having an employer who brushes it off and says that an apology should fix everything is not a solution and leaves the offended party uncomfortable.

Often they are forced to continue to work in the same space with the offender. Be proactive against employers/ees who verbally abuse others.

Without horses in my life, I find it hard to be content

The horse world is a tough place, but the people in it have the ability to make it a bit softer.

This industry makes it EXTREMELY hard to take care of yourself when you're either physically or mentally/emotionally not 100%.

I'm part of a 2-person operation and finding qualified help to cover for such instances is impossible. Seeing great facilities facing closing their doors due to having to choose between barely breaking even month after month, or taking the time they need to get the help they so desperately deserve is heart-wrenching. It hits closer to home for all of us than we think... No one is immune.

As a working student who looked at my position as getting to work for my idol rather than a real job, I allowed myself to go through much more than I should have. I was afraid that quitting meant giving up on my dreams and ignored the fact that I was being used. Even after my contract had been violated (yes, I had a contract), I endured months of verbal and emotional abuse and worked without appropriate compensation because I had been told for years that you need to have "grit" to make it to the top.

For the most part, I've been happy working with and for other horsemen. There are a few oddballs out there, but they probably have their own demons to face. I think the more communication about problems like this in the workplace, the better the situation will get. The more we talk about it, the easier it is to ask for help.

Some clients sometimes look at my job as an assistant trainer as a "dream job" but have no clue or appreciation for all that we do. I am a trainer, instructor, groom, and maintenance worker all in one, but most only see us doing a very small portion of that.

I think as the World gets more understanding of mental problems and everything else that has something to do with mental health the equine World and gets better at it. Mental health is a serious concept and not talking about it makes it worse. To me, it doesn't matter if you need my help because you have broken your leg or if you are struggling with something mental health related.

Also is how some employers or co-workers mistreat the horses! Then there is the risk of losing your job to stand up to them. I did in the past and I'm glad but I was lucky to be in a position where I was able to. Now I have a management position where I can correct anyone not doing something that's in the best interest of the horses! But I can see how frustrating and impossible it would feel to work somewhere with questionable or downright abusive practices but not be able to afford to leave.

There is pressure to work hard every day for not a lot of money. I've even had clients upset when I say I am leaving town for a couple days, whether it be for horse related work, vacation, or even major holidays. In any other industry, working 9-5 and taking vacation and weekends off is normal. I think the horse industry has normalized because overworked (and underpaid) and that contributes to people's emotional and mental states. I find it important to balance your life and find things to do outside the horses otherwise it is easy for me to burn myself out. I've stopped caring if people get upset because I need a mental health break.

I'm in the process of leaving the industry for Social Work. I graduate in the spring with a BSW and will pursue an MSW from Chapel Hill along with an LCSW. The thing I see the most from all levels of the industry but especially in grooms and working students is Burnout and Compassion Fatigue. Im not talking someone who is tired, I'm referring to clinically significant exhaustion. Physically, mentally, emotionally. Left untreated it increases the risk of poor health, depression and even suicide. Workplace culture is a key factor in burnout. Management behavior, the environment they create and what the foster in employees (either positivity or negativity). The industry MUST acknowledge grooms as people not as robots. People who likely have struggles at home weighing on them just like anyone. I often see burnout in trainers and definitely the vets. We need to be teaching the warning signs, ways to mitigate early stage burnout and ways to find and seek help. While I never became suicidal I reached a level of burnout to where I quit my job and left the country for three months. It was good that opportunity came when it did. It saved my life and my marriage.

High pressure to perform at a run for 9+ hours 6 days a week while dodging hooves and yelling employers got old; working retail now and I'm down to only internally smirking at yelling customers

We have developed an industry in which the workers have no power. Employment is often scarce, incorrectly classified, or illegal. This removes the employee's ability to fight for better conditions. First, we need to remove the idea that you've got to work your way up by being taken advantage of.

Just don't feel down about people being rude, and no matter what, always stand up for the horse!!

For a high-functioning autistic person, like myself, the horses are the easy part. I struggle to negotiate wages or conditions. But now I know I'm good enough of they don't agree to a wage, or offer dangerous living conditions, I walk away. Also, people get comfortable with me and think we can read each other. I don't read anyone. But people think I'm being standoffish, or obtuse. Leads to misunderstanding.

One of the most disheartening things in the industry is the prevalence of unscrupulous behavior. It becomes a state of paranoia, wondering who is lying, someone always is. It's emotionally wearing and frustrating.

This is a hard lifestyle fueled by passion and dreams. The highs are so high and so fleeting, the lows are detrimental. The time you must spend in this sport traveling and working creates an island of people with little outside world connections and yet we still feel the need to participate in the functionality of the outside world. It's like our lifestyle is bipolar disease.

Overall I would say that I have received mostly support from people in the horse industry, people tend to be very kind and helpful. That being said though, it has become very difficult to find the time to take care of myself since I started working in this industry and the stress from my job can be very demanding.

I came from a "backyard barn" and even though I knew the basics, there was a lot of finer horse care knowledge that I didn't know about. I was never one to be over-ambitious, or to act like a know it all. I worked hard and learned A LOT. My employer saw this and rewarded me, but some people still treated me like a joke. "Oh I'll wrap him, most people don't know how to wrap properly." Well, thanks but I actually went to school for that. Another example, after riding with this one instructor for a semester I went with another student to ask about what class we should pick for next semester. Let me preface by saying the instructors pretty much NEVER moved students down a level. My friend asked and the instructor told her she could go up a level. I asked, and the instructor TURNED AWAY FROM ME and said I could go down a level. She didn't even have the decency to look me in the eye. I was blindsided. She had not communicated to me in any way that I had been doing poorly. I should have discussed this privately with her, but I was too upset and embarrassed at the time.

There needs to be so much more love and recognition for the people behind the scenes. I'm very lucky at my current full-time grooming job I'm the fact that I do feel safe, I get a steady paycheck and I can actually take a sick day. Its been a huge challenge for me to heal from past abuse- being called at 2am to send med labels or change a blanket, or missing a midnight text that the schedule has changed and being petrified that I might wake up later, being screamed at for anything less than absolute perfection, cleaning dozens of saddles with a toothbrush until my hands cracked and bled. I developed so many anxieties, OCD and insomnia issues from these jobs. I spent the holidays alone. The most terrifying thing was when my roommate disappeared because she had to be admitted for a 72-hour hold after attempting suicide. She never spoke to me again after I left even tho she was one of my best friends. I know it is because she feels that I abandoned her and I wish every day that I could have helped her. On top of that, I made so little money thaI i had absolutely no way out. I have never been more grateful for my current job where I'm finally treated as a person. Trainers and owners need to realize that loyalty is not one way. Thank you for spreading more love for us.

The industry needs to figure out how to make a five day work week work. It will result in smaller turnover rates, higher quality work, and a healthier work environment.

The community you build is everything. Don't stay somewhere if the community isn't positive. If you have good people by your side everything becomes easier

The stigma that exists in the horse industry exists in EVERY industry and every job. Most mental illnesses are ADA and FMLA protected yet with ignorance the stigma and prejudices continue to grow and that growth turns into the norm in society. This is an issue of prejudices, not the job description.

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So I have one situation for all of us to ponder.

Does a stressed out and depressed or anxious worker (or boss) care for their horses in the best possible way? We already know that allowing this type of situation isn't good for us - so how can it possibly be good for them? A horse can NEVER live his best life if the people who care for them are not living theirs.

As daunting as it seems, the change begins now, with each of us. We can allow this to go on, or we can say ENOUGH. If you are working in the horse industry - it's absolutely unacceptable to be overworked and underpaid. Start to understand employment laws and make sure you are not being taken advantage of. This entire section of this website starts to explain the basics of working legally in the horse industry.

If you are an employer, be sure you are following state and federal employment laws.

For everyone - start to question why this antiquated and absolute BS of "this is how it's always been done" should continue to apply. It shouldn't.

Safesport.org is a place where you can report abusive individuals, in ANY sport. It's not limited to Equestrian Sports. You can also search by name, location, or sport to see if someone around you has been reported.

The National Suicide Prevention Hotline https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 1-800-273-8255 You can even visit their website and live chat.

The National Sexual Assault Hotline https://www.rainn.org/about-national-sexual-assault-telephone-hotline 800.656.HOPE (4673)

If you have issues with your employer, these resources can also help.

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Mental Health in the Horse Industry - Survey Results and Written Responses

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Results of a mental health survey filled out by horse industry workers, as well as some people that don't work in the horse industry but are involved with horses. Discussion includes written responses regarding working conditions in the horse industry and mental health stigmas in the horse industry.

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Bullying Behaviours in Children and Adolescents

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Bullying Behaviours in Children and Adolescents

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There's a bit about risk factors for bullying & prevention methods.

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Abstract

Bullying in school-aged children is a universal problem, which continues to be a serious threat to physical and emotional health of children and adolescents. This article highlights the prevalence, the common characteristics of bullies and victims, as well as the short- and long-term impact of bullying involvement. Key areas highlighted include the efficacy of bullying prevention programs, which can help health care providers to assess and provide interventions to children and adolescents affected by bullying.

Keywords: bullying, children, adolescents, intervention

Introduction

Incidents of violence and aggression in schools is a common and expanding phenomenon, which has attracted the interest of scientists, educators, and policy makers for more than three decades in the majority of European countries, North America, and Australia ( 1). Bullying is defined as negative physical, verbal, or relational actions that (a) have hostile intent, (b) cause distress to the victim, (c) are repeated and (d) involve a power imbalance between perpetrators and victims ( 2). This definition underlines the key elements that differentiate bullying from other common expressions of aggression among peers, such as fighting, where the imbalance of power is irrelevant, as well as from playful acts based on friendly motives that are part of normal patterns of socialization among youths. Bullying may take multiple forms varying from physical confrontation, teasing, and humiliation to more indirect ways of victimization such as spread of rumors or exclusion from the peer group and social marginalization of the victim ( 3). During the last years, the significant role of new technologies in youth's life has contributed to the emergence of cyber bullying as a prevalent phenomenon.

In order to review the epidemiology, identification, and management of bullying and victimization among school-aged children, we conducted a combined computerized and manual systematic database search of medical literature. The respective publications were retrieved from electronic search engines (Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar, Ovid, and the Cochrane Library) from 2000 to 2013 using the key words "bullying, children, adolescents, and intervention." Reference lists were thereafter systematically searched for relevant articles. Eligible studies included studies examining the prevalence, the common characteristics of bullies and victims, as well as the short- and long-term impact of bullying involvement.

Prevalence

Estimated rates of bullying incidents vary significantly among countries as well as among gender and age groups. For example, the percentage of children who reported involvement in bullying was 13% in the USA ( 4), 24% in England, and 8% in Germany ( 5). Evidence from a recent international study indicates that bullying prevalence vary from 32% (among Lithuanian 11-year-old boys) to 2% (among Armenian girls of all ages).

Bullying has been found to vary by age group, which is consistent across the majority of countries. This is mainly due to the fact that the prevalence of bulling declines with age. Many studies suggest that boys are more likely to become perpetrators and/or victims in physical verbal and overall direct forms of bulling, whereas girls are more likely to get involved in indirect forms of bullying. However, further investigation is needed to determine specific gender patterns of bullying behavior among children and adolescents. Previous research indicates also that children of low social-economic status are more vulnerable to bullying ( 6), whereas other studies do not provide such evidence ( 7).

Impact

Bullying is a worrying issue concerning its impact on youth's health and psychosocial adjustment. Research indicates three groups of individuals who are directly involved in bullying, namely bullies, victims, and bully/victims, each with different, yet sometimes overlapped, characteristics associated to bullying incidents in their lives. The most common negative outcomes associated to victimization are depression (with 29.5% of bullied adolescents reporting depressive symptoms compared to 7.3% of their non-involved peers), anxiety (with more than 50% of victims reporting severe anxiety), and even suicidal ideation. A longitudinal study held by Ttofi et al. ( 8) provided evidence about the correlation of victimization in adolescence with depressive symptoms in adulthood mostly among females. It is also suggested that victims of bullying manifest high levels of post-traumatic stress ( 9). Evidence from cross national study of a total of 113,200 students from 25 countries at average age 11.5, 13.5, and 15.5 years suggests the prevalence of externalizing symptoms such as aggressive behavior and conduct problems ( 10, 11). More precisely in a study survey of 428 undergraduate students based on the National College Health Risk Behavior Survey about alcohol, drug and tobacco, violence and aggression, the Beck Depression Inventory II, and items adapted from the Overt Aggression Scale, evidence showed that almost one third of the sample reported cigarette smoking, 22% moderate depression, 81% drink alcohol, with 58% drinking more than five drinks at least once in the last month. Reports of verbal and physical aggression were also common. Moderate depression was related to cigarette smoking, physical, and verbal aggression, but not to heavy alcohol use ( 12). In another study of a representative sample of 15,686 students in grades 6 through 10 in public and private schools throughout the United States who completed the World Health Organization's Health Behaviour in School-aged Children, a correlation was found between bullying and weapon carrying ( 4). A recently published review of longitudinal studies ( 1) showed that the probability of being engaged in criminal offending later in life was significantly predicted by bullying perpetration in school. Bullies maladjustment is significant within schooling where they are found to achieve poorer academic records ( 12, 13).

Most empirical studies show that among youth involved in bullying, the group with the most eminent difficulties in psychological, interpersonal, and academic sectors is that of victims/bullies ( 14, 15). Their poor functioning indicates them as an especially high-risk group. Although they represent a small group, approximately 6% of adolescents ( 10), they show high levels of both internalizing and externalizing symptoms in combination with high rates of physical problems possibly related to the accumulative impact of repeated stressful incidents of bullying ( 11). This subgroup of victims, in fact, reacts aggressively to abuse and has a distinct pattern of maladjustment encompassing both the antisocial tendencies of perpetrators and the emotional problems faced by victims. This leads to long-term mental health and social problems ( 16).

The largest cross-sectional study provides conclusions about the direction of the observed associations between bullying and facets of psychosocial functioning ( 17). Despite this limitation, it is largely accepted that bullying should be regarded as a stressful life event contributing to behavior and school adjustment problems ( 3).

In addition to the short and long-term effects of bullying, there is a connection between the level of bully/victim problems in a classroom or school and aspects of the social climate of the unit concerned. In classroom with high levels of bullying problems, students tend to feel less safe and less satisfied with their school life.

Causes-Protective Factors

Given the fact that bullying is expressed in setting, it is important to focus on factors that enhance or limit its prevalence and impact. Most studies address bullying as a multifactorial phenomenon influenced by factors associated with the individual, the family, the school, and the broader community levels. Table depicts the most common factors indicated by research as risk or protective ones concerning the emergence of bullying incidence ( 3, 18- 23).

Table 1

Basic Principles of Prevention Programs

The identification of multiple risk and protective factors should be considered as a guideline for the development of effective anti-bullying programs. In fact, several programs have been implemented mostly in Northern Europe [e.g., The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) in Norway and Sweden and the KiVa Anti-bullying program in Finland] whose efficacy is demonstrated by empirical evidence ( 8, 24, 25). The OBPP is used at the school, classroom, and individual levels and includes methods to reach out to parents and the community for involvement and support. School administrators, teachers, and other staff are primarily responsible for introducing and implementing the program. The goals of the program are to reduce existing bullying problems among students, to prevent the development of new bullying problems, and to achieve better peer relations at school. These goals are met through restructuring of the child's social environment at school. The restructuring is intended to reduce both opportunities and rewards for engaging in bullying behavior and to build a sense of community among students and adults within the school environment. OBPP is designed for students in elementary, middle, and junior high schools (students ages 5-15 years old). OBPP has been more thoroughly evaluated than any other bullying prevention/reduction program so far. Six large-scale evaluations involving more than 40,000 students have documented results such as average reductions of 20-70% in student reports of being bullied and bullying others. Peer and teacher ratings of bullying problems have yielded roughly similar results and clear improvements in the classroom social climate, as reflected in students' reports of improved order and discipline, more positive social relationships, and more positive attitudes toward schoolwork and school.

KiVa is a research-based anti-bullying program that has been developed in the University of Turku, Finland. The program involves both universal and indicated actions to prevent bullying and to tackle cases of bullying coming to attention. The universal actions are targeted at all students in a school. They refer to efforts made to influence the group norms and to build capacity in all children to behave in constructive ways, to take responsibility for not encouraging bullying, and to support the victims. KiVa has been evaluated in a large randomized controlled trial including 117 intervention schools and 117 control schools. The program has been shown to reduce both self- and peer-reported bullying and victimization significantly. It influences multiple form of victimization, including verbal, physical, and cyberbullying. In addition, positive effects on school liking, academic motivation, and achievement have been reported. KiVa also reduces anxiety and depression and has a positive impact on students' perception of their peer climate. Finnish data from more than 1000 schools that started the implementation of KiVa in fall 2009 showed that after the first year of implementation, both victimization and bullying had reduced significantly.

Despite the variety of specific goals and methods incorporated in each program, research provides evidence about common core elements that result to the reduction of bullying incidents in schools. The main factors promoting the effectiveness of anti-bullying programs are (1) whole school, non-stigmatizing implementation, (2) involvement of parents in parent training, (3) development of school conferences, (4) quality classroom management-teacher training, (5) duration and intensity of implementation, (6) complexity-number of program components, developmental appropriateness, (7) staff commitment to implement the intervention, and (8) cultural appropriateness.

Despite the specific focus of each study, empirical evidence shows the multiple risks and dangers associated with bullying. It is quite obvious, both by its prevalence rates and its adjustment and function correlates that bullying is one of the major threats for children's and adolescents' positive development. Its impact on all facets of youth's lives leads to the conclusion that it should be considered as a significant international public health issue ( 26). Furthermore, it is somehow mentioned in most studies that bullying is strongly setting-related, concerning both its form and its prevalence ( 27). It is of essential importance for further research to focus on the interplay between social parameters and the evolution of phenomena such as bullying especially during periods of transitions such as economic crisis, which is the case for an increasing number of southern and central European countries. Despite the differences observed among countries, research provides evidence that there is a high level of cross-national consistency in the relationship between bullying behaviors and psychosocial adjustment ( 4).

Conclusion

Both the content of the impact of bullying on adolescents' well-being and the pathways through which it is expressed seem to be quite common among countries, a fact that permits the development of prevention and intervention anti-bullying programs with common core elements and goals in a European level. Finally, it is important to mention that given the fact that bullying is such a prevalent phenomenon, future efforts should focus not only on its reduction but also on the fostering of resilience despite its existence.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

References

2. Olweus D. Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell; (1993).

7. Lind J, Maxwell G. Children's Experience of Violence at School. Wellington: Office of the Commissioner for Children; (1996).

9. Schiltz L, Houbre B. Multidimensional homogeneity analysis with small samples: comparison of different subgroups of people suffering from exclusion. Bull Soc Sci Med Grand Duche Luxemb (2006) 311-25 [ PubMed]

19. Bowes L, Arseneault L, Maughan B, Taylor A, Caspi A, Moffitt TE. School, neighborhood, and family factors are associated with children's bullying involvement: a nationally representative longitudinal study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry (2009) 48(5):545-5310.1097/CHI.0b013e31819cb017 [ PubMed] [ CrossRef] PMC free article] [

20. Loeber R, Hay D. Key issues in the development of aggression and violence from childhood to early adulthood. Annu Rev Psychol (1997) 48(1):371-41010.1146/annurev.psych.48.1.371 [ PubMed] [ CrossRef]

22. Espelage DL, Swearer SM, editors. , editors. Bullying in American Schools: A Social-Ecological Perspective on Prevention and Intervention. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers; (2004).

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Bullying Behaviors in Children and Adolescents: "An Ongoing Story"

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Bullying in school-aged children is a universal problem, which continues to be a serious threat to physical and emotional health of children and adolescents. This article highlights the prevalence, the common characteristics of bullies and victims, as well as the short- and long-term impact of bullying involvement.

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“My way or the highway” mindsets should not be welcome in the equestrian community."

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Government studies show that in Great Britain (across all industries)  11.5% of our sickness absences were as a result of mental health issues (including stress, depression, anxiety and other serious conditions)

75% of us on average, are spending a third of our waking hours in the workplace.

Each year in the UK around 40% of our sick days are attributed to stress, anxiety or depression.

The typical reasons for our work-related stress are: work overload, too little work, lack of support, inadequate training, poor working relationships, poor working environment or personal factors.

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Throughout the year there are two key times that we are encouraged to turn some much-needed attention to the subject of mental health, in the form of Mental Health Awareness Week in May and World Mental Health Day in October. Naturally, we focus our attention to the matter of mental health in the equine industry.

Before anyone gets too carried away though thinking that equine grooms are different from the rest of the working population in terms of susceptibility to mental health issues, let's look at the general context. The world as a whole is looking to remove the stigma that historically has surrounded mental health and putting it on to an open agenda as opposed to being something that people are scared or embarrassed to talk about. Employers and employees are all people, and all people (and many animals actually), are susceptible to mental health issues - in the workplace and outside of it. At work, if you have a good working relationship with those you work with that support is of untold value and we often hear heart warming stories of such bonds forged in the equestrian yard environment.

We take the opportunity to reinforce that we are happy to support such initiatives where we can and as ever, to advise on issues which can arise relating this directly to the employer : groom dynamic with which we are so familiar. Myself and my team are always here to help and advise as part of the process of supporting you through your various career and job seeker employment choices over the years - the good, the bad and sometimes the darn right ugly!

Caroline

Mental health at work - Mental Health Awareness Week

by Melanie Dimmock

As many of you will be aware, the British Grooms Association (BGA) launched the Grooms Minds project in 2017, which is all about raising awareness of issues related to mental health in the equine industry in order to offer support. The first phase of the project was to find out just how many grooms were affected by these issues and the results or a widespread survey they ran surprised them. Within the wider context of the population as a whole, their findings were not hugely at odds with the common statistics found in the working population at large.

Some work-related mental health facts and figures*

Government studies show that in Great Britain (across all industries) 11.5% of our sickness absences were as a result of mental health issues (including stress, depression, anxiety and other serious conditions)

75% of us on average, are spending a third of our waking hours in the workplace.

Each year in the UK around 40% of our sick days are attributed to stress, anxiety or depression.

The typical reasons for our work-related stress are: work overload, too little work, lack of support, inadequate training, poor working relationships, poor working environment or personal factors.

*Source: www.mindfulemployer.net

A Mental Health Foundation survey found:

when working long hours more than a quarter of employees feel depressed (27%), one third feel anxious (34%), and more than half feel irritable (58%) - as a person's weekly hours increase, so do our feelings of unhappiness.

many more women report unhappiness than men (42% of women compared with 29% of men). www.mentalhealth.org.uk

CareersCast found the 10 most stressful jobs in the world in 2017 to be:

1. Enlisted military personnel

2. Firefighter

3. Airline pilot

4. Police officer

5. Event coordinator

6. Newspaper reporter

7. Senior corporate executive

8. PR executive

9. Taxi driver

10. Broadcaster

www.careercast.com
Mental health in the equine industry

Phase 1 of the British Grooms Association Grooms Minds project - the survey - undertaken by the BGA in 2017, highlighted mental well-being issues within the profession and saw grooms across the industry call for more to be done to raise awareness and support grooms with their mental health and well-being.

You can keep up to date with the Grooms Minds project here. ACAS also offer some useful advice here.

Some quick tips for combatting stress at work*

"In life, there's always a solution to a problem," says Professor Cary Cooper, an occupational health expert at the University of Lancaster. " Not taking control of the situation and doing nothing will only make your problems worse."

1. Take control -There's a solution to any problem.
"If you remain passive, thinking, 'I can't do anything about my problem', your stress will get worse," says Professor Cooper. "That feeling of loss of control is one of the main causes of stress and lack of well being." The act of taking control is in itself empowering, and it's a crucial part of finding a solution.
2. Talk to people
A good support network of colleagues, friends and family can ease your work troubles and help you see things in a different way. "If you don't connect with people, you won't have support to turn to when you need help," says Professor Cooper. The activities we do with friends help us relax. We often have a good laugh with them, which is an excellent stress reliever. "Talking things through with a friend will also help you find solutions to your problems," says Professor Cooper.
3. Make sure you get some "me time"!
Here in the UK, we work the longest hours in Europe, meaning we often don't spend enough time doing things we really enjoy. "We all need to take some time for socialising, relaxation or exercise," says Professor Cooper. He recommends setting aside a couple of nights a week for some quality "me time" away from work.
4. Challenge yourself
Setting yourself goals and challenges, whether at work or outside, helps to build confidence. This will help you deal with stress. "By continuing to learn, you become more emotionally resilient as a person," says Professor Cooper.
5. Avoid unhealthy habits
Don't rely on alcohol, smoking and caffeine as your ways of coping. "Men more than women are likely to do this. We call this avoidance behaviour," says Professor Cooper. "Women are better at seeking support from their social circle. Over the long term, these crutches won't solve your problems. They'll just create new ones. "It's like putting your head in the sand," says Professor Cooper. "It might provide temporary relief, but it won't make the problems disappear. You need to tackle the cause of your stress."
6. Try to be positive
Look for the positives in life, and things for which you're grateful. "People don't always appreciate what they have," says Professor Cooper. "Try to be glass half full instead of glass half empty," he says. Try writing down three things that went well, or for which you're grateful, at the end of every day.
7. Accept the things you can't change
Changing a difficult situation isn't always possible. Try to concentrate on the things you do have control over. "If your company is going under and is making redundancies, for example, there's nothing you can do about it," says Professor Cooper. "In a situation like that, you need to focus on the things that you can control, such as looking for a new job."

*Source: NHS Moodzone

Support for grooms

Equine grooms may not appear on the top ten list of most stressful jobs worldwide but nevertheless, it is at times a stressful job:

Other team members have their own issues/personality challenges

Employers have rarely been trained to unravel issues, problems and don't always approach as they ideally should

Horses have personalities /their own issues and challenges and don't always co-operate 🙂

Horses can be valuable both in monetary and sentimental value and having them in your care is a BIG responsibility

The British weather is enough to depress the chirpiest of characters!

For those who can also add to this list a poor working environment, low pay, conflicts between team members, bullying etc. the equine industry can easily become a lonely and bleak place for some.

As part of the on-going Groom's Minds mental health awareness project, the British Grooms Association (BGA) have launched the Groom's Minds Support Line - supported by Racing Welfare, a telephone helpline for BGA members.

The free helpline is a significant step forward for the equestrian industry and has been provided for those grooms having challenges within the workplace, or life in general, and who need someone to talk to. It offers callers confidential support and advice on a range of mental health and well-being issues, provided by trained helpers.

You can read more about the BGA's Grooms Minds Project here.

If you decide:

Where you are currently working just isn't working and things can't be "fixed" by staying put and addressing any issues

You need to move on and want to start looking for a new job in the equine industry

Please do give Caroline and The Grooms List team a call to discuss your requirements and get the ball rolling. Don't mistakenly think ANY move is a good move - out of the frying pan is never a good strategy. By helping you to take a look at your options in a constructive, impartial way, we can really help you to make a positive life enhancing career move, not just to grab something that can make things a whole lot worse! Do take a look at some of the testimonials on our site which demonstrate the numerous occasions where this has happened.

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Mental Health in the Equine Industry | The Grooms List

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Grooms may not feature on the list of top 10 most stressful jobs but nevertheless, it can be a very stressful job role for even the diehard horse lover. Mental Health in the Equine Industry can't be ignored and support is available for everyone working and employing in the equine industry.

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Introduction to bullying in the equine industry

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Introduction to bullying in the equine industry

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Bullying in the equine industry can be found in majority of equine disciplines

Grooms are subject to bullying - BGA ran a survey with 13 specific questions - comments from grooms included Bullying is rife in the industry” and “I was bullied to the extent I had a breakdown” with an overwhelming feeling lack of support from the industry and employers.

70% of grooms who responded were subject to bullying

83% of grooms who responded were suffering from poor mental wellbeing.

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https://www.beta-uk.org/pages/news-amp-events/news/beta-national-equestrian-survey-2019-reveals-an-increase-in-riding.php

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Research paper on cause of emergence, nature of actions and the consequences 

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Research paper on cause of emergence, nature of actions and the consequences 

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https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/23/4685

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Page 5, states in the rules no harassment or bullying

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2017 Section A - Clean Version - Jan 12-final

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Grooms Minds - Stress/ Mental Well-being of Grooms

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Grooms Minds - Stress/ Mental Well-being of Grooms

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'Not on my yard' https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/not-yard-anti-bullying-campaign-launched-570627 , https://www.yourhorse.co.uk/news/articles/2016/11/3/riders-join-anti-bullying-campaign , https://www.fei.org/stories/not-on-my-yard
Big riders and organisations supporting thee campaigns https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/31/world-champion-horse-rider-reveals-bullying-ordealas-intimidation/
'Grooms Mind' https://britishgrooms.org.uk/uploads/files/Grooms%20Minds%20Initial%20Results%20Report.pdf
F.E.E.L https://feel-equine.com/anti-bullying/
Rules to reduce, page 5 https://www.equestrian.ca/cdn/storage/resources_v2/hzYuhmNXK3goj2yPG/original/hzYuhmNXK3goj2yPG.pdf
Blow for Bradley https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/blowforbradley-family-campaign-end-bullying-bradley-john-tragic-death-666023

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Jealousy
power, purpose, control
https://www.ditchthelabel.org/why-do-people-bully/
personal issues:
data from ditch the label shows that those who bully are far more likely than average to have experienced a stressful or traumatic situation in the past 5 years. Examples include their parents/guardians splitting up, the death of a relative or the gaining of a little brother or sister. It makes sense because we all respond to stress in very different ways.
focus negative attention on someone else.
Koffels solicitors stated that “people repeatedly and intentionally use words or actions against someone or a group of people to cause distress and risk to their wellbeing. These actions are usually done by people who have more influence or power over someone else, or who want to make someone else feel less powerful or helpless.”
they also said : “people in such positions of power need to be particularly wary not to exploit that power.”
''Bullying occurs at shows where some competitors feel they have more rights than others to prep or wash areas''.
koffels also said :
''A more senior judge might influence the marks of more junior judges if they express dislike or disdain or disapproval of a given horse or rider.'' and
“Senior officials and riders may be very guarded about their positions and see new or younger competitors coming up the ranks as a threat to their position and may be quick to condemn or gossip to the detriment of that person. Rumour, in what is a relatively small community, may quickly wound or defame someone on the outer. Reputations may precede riders and horses to the benefit of some, or disadvantage of others, colouring results of a competitor deemed to be somehow not acceptable to those running a competition, judging, selecting, etc. A more senior judge might influence the mark of more junior judges if they express a dislike or disapproval of a given horse or rider.”
https://koffels.com.au/bullying-in-equestrian-sport/