What bullying looks like for adults, kids

October is Bullying Awareness Month and ABC-7 spoke with Emergence Health Network on how people of all ages can experience bullying.

EHN says in the last 5 to 10 years, bullying has changed a lot in terms of how much access we have to each other. 

With smart phones and social media, bullying is now "on-the-go."

EHN's Crisis Intervention Team says bullying has increased, and so have suicide and suicide attempt rates because of it.

Bullying can stem from insecurities and projecting them, or even learned behaviors.

Common responses to bullying in children include isolation, not being themselves anymore, closing themselves off from their family, and not wanting to go to school.

If you're a parent, here's what you should do.

"As the parental or guardian to that adolescent, teach them how to set boundaries, make sure your social media is private," says Kristen Weindorf, director of the Crisis Intervention Team. "Make sure that you potentially block people that you know would cause problems for you if you're able to report it to the school."

She also says to screenshot any evidence in case you ever have to make a police report. 

Bullying doesn't just happen to kids, it can also happen in adulthood.

For adults, it can look like feeling isolated at work by certain coworkers, or being talked down to, or if someone talks poorly about your work and laughs about it, or makes you look bad.

If that's the case, EHN recommends finding support from family, a friend, or therapy.

"You are going to be your biggest advocate, no matter your age," says Weindorf. "I would say if you need help, ask for it. You're not alone, no matter what. We have local resources, we have the crisis hotline or you can call 988."

If it's happening at work, report it to a supervisor or HR in case it gets worse.