Anti-Bullying Policies Within the Workplace

In this blog I will discuss the article titled “Bullying in the Office: Why You Need a Policy”, which appeared on “BusinessNewsDaily.com” According to the article, unlike schools, “very few [workplace companies] actually have a clearly defined policy for reporting and dealing with bullying.” Jennette Pokorny, Chief Operating Officer of a human resource provider, defines workplace bullying as “any words or actions that […] make an employee feel uncomfortable, threatened, or intimidated, [… such as] threats of violence or blackmail, hazing of new employees, or [the] spreading of rumors.”  The article highlights that workplace bullying is a problem that is often overlooked because “leaders take a hands-off approach”. In fact, some workplace leaders feel that “employees should work out their issues with one another on their own time, since they are adults.” However, the article notes that ignoring the issue of workplace bullying not only creates a legal and financial liability against the company/business, it also creates the possibility of the problem escalating into something bigger, including violent retaliations.

This article highlights and reinforces two observations I have made within previous blogs. One observation is the broadness of the bullying term, in regards to its definition and the number of people affected. The article does not provide a straightforward clear-cut definition of bullying. Instead, the article lists various activities that may fall under bullying. Perhaps the pure arbitrariness of the definition of bullying is a factor that has led some people to fail to recognize bullying as a problem and has thus led bullying to be normalized. In addition, as can be seen within this article and contrary to popular assumption, bullying also affects adults. The second observation hints towards and seems to support a statement I made within a previous blog in which I stated that bullying is a “gate way” form of violence which leads to other forms of violence.

In order to guide employers the article offers three tips to help workplace leaders create adequate anti-bullying policies which include:

1.      “Clearly define bullying and its consequences. [… ] The employee handbook should […] include a detailed list of what actions constitute bullying in the workplace […] and what disciplinary actions will be taken if bullying occurs. In my opinion, this is an adequate 1^st step to make against bullying because it makes the consequences of committing bullying concrete. However, I think it will be equally important for leaders to ensure that companies implement their bullying policies. It may be that certain companies have anti-bullying prices, but fail to adequately use them.

2.      “Get everything in writing. […] Request written statements from both the victim and the accused bully, as well as any witnesses. […] Written documentation about the event can protect your company from liability or wrongful termination charges.” In the long run, this tip can prove to be beneficial, especially to bullies. For example, during a rehab program bullies may be asked to review their previous bullying action. Perhaps the aforementioned review will help deter future bullying actions.

3.      “Encourage immediate reporting. Make sure […] employees know who they can approach to report a case of bullying, and encourage workers to speak up as soon as possible.” Overall, I believe this is the most beneficial and productive anti-bullying tip because it encompasses the problems I have found and identified within bullying. This tip does not only advocate the recognition of bullying as a problem, it also advocates action. As previously stated, it may be the case that certain settings do have anti-bullying policies and people who recognize bullying actions. However it is important to keep in mind that if these people fail to act it renders the aforementioned anti-bullying policies as useless.

The Accumulating Effects of Bullying

Today I will be discussing a recent bullying article released by Reuters.com. The article is titled “Effects of bullying may add up in kids: study” and was written by Andrew M. Seaman. An important aspect of bullying discussed within the article is the recently implied discovery that the effects of bullying may accumulate throughout the years. In addition, the article discusses the important role adults, especially parents, can play in diminishing bullying.

 The article states that the according to a new study, “the negative physical and mental effects tied to bullying among children and teens may accumulate throughout the years”. In fact, researchers have found that “teens who had been bullied in the past and those currently being bullied tended to have a lower quality of life, compared to those who were bullied less or not at all.” According to the article, researchers analyzed data from the Healthy Passages study which “surveyed students in Alabama, California and Texas about how much bullying they experienced and evaluated their physical and mental health.” Researchers decided to analyze this data after realizing that few studies “have examined whether the possible effects of bullying accumulate over the years.” Overall, 4,297 students completed the surveys, offered by the Healthy Passages study, during the fifth, seventh, and tenth grades. Upon analysis researchers made the following discoveries:

·         “About a third of the students had been regularly bullied at some point during the course of the study.”

·         “Generally, those who had been bullied in the past scored better on measures of physical and mental health, compared to those who were currently being bullied. Teens who were bullied throughout their school career scored the worst.”

o   “About 7% of 10th grade students who had never been bullied scored low on mental health measures […] compared to 12 % [for students] who had been bullied in the past, 31 % [for students] who were currently being bullied and almost 45% [for students]who underwent persistent bullying.”

§  According to the article, “poor mental health included traits such as being sad, afraid and angry.”

o   “About 8% of 10th grade students who were never bullied had poor physical health, compared to 12% of those who were bullied in the past, 26% who were currently being bullied and 22% who were continuously bullied.”

§  According to the article, “poor physical health included limitations [such as] not being able to walk far and not being able to pick up heavy objects.”

An important realization I made upon reading this article is the possible deep extent of the effects of bullying. Unlike most physical injuries which go away with the passage of time, the effects of bullying seem to fade but never fully go away. The Healthy Passages study suggests that the negative effects of bullying can hinder a person long after the bullying ceases. It seems that researchers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of attending this social issue and diminishing its occurrence.

Towards the end of the article, Laura Bogart, a doctor at Boston Children's Hospital, stated that “any adult that has any contact with children . . . (should) know what the signs of bullying might be." According to Bogart the signs of bullying can be physical, but that is not always the case. For example, a non-physical sign of bullying that can be presented by a young child is the resistance towards attending school.  In addition, Bogart believes “it's important for parents to know if their child falls into one of the groups at high risk for bullying,” which includes children with physical disabilities, overweight and obese children, and children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or questioning.

The comments made by Laura Bogart reiterate many statements made in previous blogs. For example, Dr. Bogart seems to suggest that it is possible that adults, including parents, are failing to realize and accept the existence of the issue of bullying. In fact, Dr. Bogart seems to cry out to parents to take an active role in diminishing bullying, by paying attention to their children and realizing if they are being bullied. Dr. Bogart seems to realize that with the passage of time bullying is transforming and no longer implicates physical abuse. In fact, Dr. Bogart adequately advises parents to keep an eye on their children’s emotional state, and changes in mood and behavior. As technology advances it is becoming increasingly easier for bullies to conduct online-bullying through the internet and social media. However, it is becoming increasingly harder for parents, teachers, and adults in general to recognize and realize when bullying occurs.