Keeping Younger Workers Safe
It is always thrilling when a teenager lands his or her first job. This is an important coming-of-age moment for youngsters and a significant step away from the nest on the path toward personal growth.
Unfortunately, youngsters are sometimes abused by co-workers, clients, and customers who see them as "weak targets" for their aggression.
The young worker my not know who to turn to if this occurs or may be too embarrassed to speak up.
In situations when abuse eminates from authority figures such as supervisors or other adults such as clients or customers, the youngster my even think he or she is required to tolerate it.
Please watch the following video for more information:
The Negative Impact of Bullying on Youngsters.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") in Atlanta:
Bullying has serious and lasting negative effects on the mental health and overall well-being of our youth.
Young people who are bullied, as well as those who both bully others and are bullied by others, sometimes referred to as bully-victims.
Even youngsters who have simply observed but have not participated in bullying behavior report significantly more feelings of helplessness and less sense of connectedness and support from responsible adults...than youth who are have not witnessed bullying behavior.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/bullying-suicide-translation-final-a.pdf
For these reasons and other reasons, I strongly encourage parents to have conversations with their children before they enter the workplace.
Discuss appropriate and inappropriate behaviors and inform them of what measures they should take if they experience bullying or other forms of abuse.
Help keep your children safe and help ensure that the first working experience is a positive one!