Abuse/Bullying

You may be surprised that I've lumped these two categories together. But, abuse and bullying are very closely connected. After all, what is bullying but a subtle form of abuse. And what is abuse but bullying in its most extreme form? They both involve coercion, control and manipulation. Obviously any form of serious sexual or violent abuse may seem, at first glance, way more serious than simple, verbal bullying. But one can so easily lead on to the next. Anyone who gets off on the power involved in bullying - say in the school playground - can all too easily adopt this behaviour for life... and end up as a serial abuser of one kind or another. Both bullying and abuse take no account of a human being's feelings... which is why they can be so deadly. And why I've lumped them together.