Bullying in Group Support
It has come to our attention that there is bullying going on in the support chat rooms. This is really sad to hear. 7 Cups is an emotional support network. We are all here to support you, and we expect you to behave supportively and with kindness towards others while youre here. Thats what were about.
⛔️ BULLYING NEEDS TO STOP IMMEDIATELY.
What is bullying?
Bullying is hurtful behaviour that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. It can happen online or offline. It can happen once, or it can be an ongoing behaviour.
Types of bullying:
☞ Making threats
☞ Ridiculing
☞ Gossiping
☞ Spreading rumours
☞ Attacking someone verbally
☞ Excluding someone from a group
How can I avoid bullying someone?
Treat everyone with respect. If youre about to say something that might be hurtful, put yourself in the other persons shoes and imagine how your words would feel. If you think you have been unkind to someone, you can apologise.
We have many vulnerable guests and members. Most of us on 7 Cups are struggling in some way. Thats why were here for support. Some have special needs and may not know how to behave appropriately. In cases like this, you need to be extra compassionate. Assume the best of others. Know that everyone is doing the best they can. If being kind doesnt help the situation, you can use your own personal mute button. Alternatively, you can take a break from the chat room.
How does bullying make you feel?
If youre involved in bullying, it might help you to feel cleverer, stronger or more superior than another person. You might find you quite enjoy bullying and forget to consider the harm that it causes to others. There is a danger, especially if part of a group, that youll begin to truly believe that the other person isnt worth as much as the rest of you. This is wrong.
What to do if youre bullying someone?
Stop immediately. Remind yourself that you can do better. Reach out to a listener and talk through why you might be behaving in this way and how you intend to put it right. If you dont feel comfortable talking about it, make a list of what you get out of bullying. Then make a list of how youd feel if you were that person. Be brave. Apologise to the person you were hurtful towards. You can also tell any friends engaging in this behaviour to stop. Remind them of the harm it causes. If they do not listen, it would be a good idea to find new, kinder friends that dont need to belittle others to feel better about themselves.
You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
- Jim Rohn
How does being bullied make you feel?
Bullying can make you feel scared, upset, embarrassed or hopeless. Its important to know that nobody has the right to make you feel this way. There are people who will like, care about and support you. 7 Cups is full of them. If you are being bullied by anyone in the group support rooms, you can mute and report them. You can also reach out to me directly via PM.
Zero tolerance policy
Here on 7 Cups, we will not tolerate bullying. Let me say this again. We will not tolerate bullying. Anyone who is found to be engaging in hurtful behaviour will no longer be permitted to participate in group support chat. Those who continue to find ways to hurt others outside of group chat will be removed from the site completely.
Dont be that person.
This is perfect @Heather. I feel like this was a much needed post, which is sad to say for a place where people come for support.
It's nice to see a post like this finally come up. I usually like to talk to one person at once because I was bullied in group settings when I was younger.
yyaayyy heather, thank you very Much!!!
Thank you for bring this subject up. Unfortunately, bullying in support chat rooms has been happening more often lately. I usually advise the person(s) being bullied to use their mute/report button if they need to.
Thank you so much for this post ♥ Sadly it's something that badly needs to be sorted out on here ! Please everyone remember DON'T BULLY !!! treat others the way you'd like to be treated yourself instead ! ♥ I really hope people take note of this thread . Chatroom bullying on here is so easy to get into especially with a bit of peer pressure and it can do a LOT of harm to people , often more harm than we even think . Most of the people on here have been through enough in real life , they don't need to be bullied on a SUPPORT SITE too ♥ Some of the nicest people on here are now leaving because of this 
please make it STOP !!! 
@ih0pe
@ih0pe Wonderful Thread, ty :)
@ih0pe i agree bullying affects me to it hurts True I only came on this site to gethelp and talk and talk my issues out I had different types of bullying happen to me its rumors assault and harassment sexual harassment i like what you said i was suicidal i was 18 i was cutting myself a little bit on the arm it was painful and also i hope we talk also i have watched videos on youtube about bullying suicide is one of the worst i dont want to do that its awful and puts emotional tears in another persons eyes
i am denise nice to meet you talk to you soon 
@ih0pe This is So True. The reason I left for a while, was because of the people who would go on here, and bully me to no end. And yet, it still seems to be happening. @Laura @Heather @Lara I was told by @Kaylee to make sure you see this, and to tell you the names. I only know the name of one person, and the other wont tell me who they are, but they are telling me i'm not allowed to be on here, and that no one wants me on here. And so on. [Content edited to remove names if further questions message @Iara]
@ForeverAlone101 Tagging people again to ensure they'll see your post! :) Thanks for taking my suggestion and to post on the thread for help... and lets make sure we avoid saying names of other users in the forums so it won't cause further conflict.
CC-- @Laura @KrinkTheMellowUnicorn @iara @Laura @Heather
Hmm well im glad this issue is being addressed
@ih0pe that's horrible
Yes thank you for this post! I hope that everyone gets a chance to see this....Sadly not everyone will read this or will even come into the Forums though~ We definitely need to enforce this post for all those who bully and are bullied alike. And perhaps hold more discussions on the bullying behavior as to reinforce (as a suggestion). Thanks again for the Post!
@Heather
@Laura
@QuickJazz
@MsCoxie
Hi, I have a suggestion. 7cupsoftea should create a report button for guests and members who are being bullied by a listener. For example, a guest or a member can click the report a bully button and 7cupsoftea would be notified of it. I hope that helps.
@joyfulDreamer37
The messages should be saved as soon as the button is pressed, so no one is wrongfully accused. Even they're saved they can be checked
@joyfulDreamer37
Doesn't that already exist essentially? I thought that there was a button for reporting a problem in the chat room, regardless of whether it's a listener or member causing the problem.
@Annie That could be true, I'm not entirely sure.
It's heartbreaking that we have to be reminded this as listeners :( We're a family! I know we may not all get along sometimes, but being mean is not the solution. Nobody wins when somebody is mean. 
@xx3mber5kyxx I agree.
@xx3mber5kyxx true hate makes you ugly is the same thing being mean i got affected by bullying as a teenager now im an adult i still get affected and i only have four people i do not like in my life they give me a lot of damage and pain and it hurts and violence never helps either violence is not the solution either it only makes me worse i got affected by it getting kicked punched in the face and slapped and scratched and verbally abused also by a girl [edited by Anomalia for sharing individual's name]
@Heather Finally someone addressing this issue. Been a problem for a long time. Mods say just mute. Will there be any recourse beside muting the offender? So many times I have left 7 cups in need of crisischat.
@mutter3 bullying was long term of me as a teenager i was a junior in high school i had discoverd i even found rumors in my locker and also i was a freshman i found something nasty in my backpack during and when i left health class also my health class teacher was aware of it he found out his name was mr montano
@mutter3 Me too. It's sad when a group support chat actually makes you feel worse. I'm glad for this change. It's been too long since I've felt safe in the group rooms.
Thank you for posting this. Some of the reasons I spend less time in chat is that it can be and has been sometimes a contentious place. I also have had good experiences. I appreciate no bullying policy. Thank you.
@soulsings Same here. :(
