There has been a lot in the news lately about children committing suicide due to bullying. The tragedy is lifelong for the family and perhaps for those who did the bullying. Bullying, however, does not stop in childhood. Those who were bullies as children often continue their pattern of oppression into adulthood.

Signs that you are a stalker

1. You make fun of someone. You insult them, make fun of them, or make derogatory comments.
2. You “accidentally” spill drinks on people or cause them to drop papers, supplies, or belongings.
3. You post embarrassing photos of another person on social networking sites.
4. You twist the truth or tell lies about someone.
5. You campaign to make someone look bad or incompetent.
6. Post anonymous comments in forums that you would never attach your name to.
7. Someone embarrasses you or does something you don’t want them to do and you “get even.”

what to do about it

Many bullies lack empathy. This guy is not someone who would be reading this article. If you are a stalker and you are reading this, then you are someone who is at least open to change. The following requires honest reflection.

1. You must first realize that what you are doing is harmful. If you want to know how harmful, imagine yourself being a victim of the behavior you are engaging in. Imagining this is probably not difficult. Most likely, he has numerous events in his own life where he was bullied by his peers and maybe even his parents.
2. Recognize that your desire to harm another has to do with your need to feel more important or better than another. This means that you are insecure. You have little sense of your own gifts and talents. You think that your only recourse is to hurt another person so that you feel better.
3. When you feel the urge to put someone down, stop and take a deep breath. You need to break this habitual pattern.
4. It is important that you get in touch with how you feel. Has something happened where you felt the need to make yourself look more important or better than someone else through bullying?
5. See how old you feel when you want to bully. Just take a moment to ask yourself, “How old do I feel?” This information gives you the age at which you were hurt in a way that resulted in you expressing your anger, fear, or insecurity by harming another.

Do something proactive to heal yourself. This could be a therapist, a healing prayer, or another method to help you heal yourself. You deserve healing and others deserve to be safe.