ILLINOIS (WAND) – Bullying at senior living facilities will be addressed with an upcoming seminar.
The News-Gazette reports workers at these places have noticed a trend of senior citizens forming cliques and going after others. Studies show between 20 and 24 percent of people living in senior facilities experience bullying. The newspaper compared that statistic to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study from 2013 showing 20 percent of high school students are bullied.
To address the issue, residents and their families can come to a bullying information program scheduled for Sept. 7 at the University of Illinois Extension’s office, located at 801 N. Country Fair Drive in Champaign. It will run from 9 to 10 a.m. with information including tips to understand bullying behavior, the impact it creates and setting definitions for senior-to-senior bullying.
People can register to attend by calling (217)333-7672.
Andrea Butler, who works as resident coordinator at Round Barn Manor, told The News-Gazette she watched bullying happen. She says sometimes older women will create cliques and target other residents to pick on.
Experts told the paper senior bullying can stem from health conditions, the stress of moving to a senior living facility or just a history of bullying. U of I Extension Family-Life Educator Chelsey Byers Gerstenecker says bullying can give the people who act out a “sense of power”.
Pat Babich-Smith, the manager of counseling and advocacy for the Senior Resource Center at Family Service of Champaign County, heard about a case where a Jewish resident was harassed by other senior home residents of different faiths. She talked about cases “reminiscent of high school”, in which a clique of people might verbally abuse others as they come into the facility.
Bullying victims are encouraged to use support systems in their lives and address bullies with assertive communication.
