By Elaine Bonilla/se news editor

Counting down the days until the school year ends is typically what a bully’s victim does. But does bullying really end with school?

In a perfect world, it would. But a perfect world would not have bullying. This is not a phase to “grow out of.” It’s a behavior that needs addressing. Otherwise, it carries into adulthood.

A few weeks ago I realized I interact with bullies frequently. They may not be pushing someone against lockers demanding money, but they exist and feel they have the power to have things their way. Sometimes, people don’t see themselves as bullies but instead as aggressive.

Bullying is everywhere.

In an office, bullying can range from a co-worker spreading rumors to stealing ideas or a supervisor not giving praise, good evaluations or raises when deserved.

In the food industry, bullying can come from a co-worker or a customer. A customer shouldn’t yell, call names and cause a scene because a mistake was made. This typically leads to the manager “comping” a ticket and customers sent on their way with complimentary item(s). Since when was it OK to reward bad behavior?

Sometimes, people who have authority feel the need to show they are in charge. So a supervisor might assign unnecessary work, a state trooper might conduct a body cavity search or even a campus police officer might be a little too verbally aggressive. These should be authority figures you can talk to if there is something wrong, not someone you should be wary about.

So how should one react to a bully in these situations? Stand up to them. In the workplace, tell them to stop. If that doesn’t work, go to their supervisor or human resources. In the food industry, an employee should remain calm, apologize and attempt to fix the situation. In some cases,  the manager may be called in. With authority figures, complaining to their superiors should work.

It takes only one time for a victim to stand up to a bully to gain enough confidence to stand up to all bullies.