This (in my opinion) is so true. I found this at http://www.ueunion.org/stwd_bullies.html.
WORKPLACE VIOLENCE is any physical assault, threatening behavior or verbal abuse occurring in the work setting. It includes but is not limited to beatings, stabbing, suicides, shootings, rapes, near suicides, psychological traumas such as threats, obscene phone calls, an intimidating presence, and harassment of any nature such as being followed, sworn at or shouted at.
In the year 2000 the "Campaign Against Workplace Bullying" did a survey of workplaces and asked workers who had been the victims of bullying why their harassers picked on them. Here are the top five reasons:
1. Target refused to be subservient, resisted control.
2. Bully envied Target’s competence in his/her work.
3. Bully envied Target’s social skills, popularity, positive attitude.
4. The victim was a whistleblower and was retaliated against.
5. The cruel personality of the bully.
Not surprisingly most of the bullying was done by people who are in higher positions at work than the people they picked on. The same survey showed that:
* 81% of the time the bully ranked 1 or more levels above the victim.
* 14% were a peer or co-worker.
* Only in 5% of the cases was the bully of "lower rank" than the victim.
The big problem with these surveys is that they don’t refer to the fact that most of the bullies are bosses, they are referred to as being "higher in rank," but we know what they mean.
One very clear fact came through, most Personnel Managers don’t do anything to protect the victims of harassment. In 42% of the cases the immediate boss of the harasser helped harass the victim or tried to punish the victim rather then the harasser! Human Resource Managers refused to help the victims in 51% of the cases despite repeated pleas for help.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
No Asshole Book!
Guess What? It's Not Illegal to be a Jerk at Work!! Bet Somebody Out There is Happy...Bullies demoralize employees, make their victims sick, drain productivity and generally make the workplace a crappy place to be. If it were up to most employees, bullies would be kicked off the island in a nano-second, just to make life bearable again.(Workplace Bullying - The Next Generation of Harassment Law
Posted on May 1, 2007 6:44 AM by Shanti Atkins)
I know this is how I felt EVERYDAY at my last job. Unfortunately for me, the only way into the building (that was unlocked) was to walk by one of the biggest most demoralizing, degrading, belittling
(and don't forget intimidating) person in this world. I felt like I was going to throw up everyday. Should I wave at him?~ NO...he NEVER waves back. Anyway, that's a minor issue. Who cares? Still, it's demoralizing. Show a little gratitude (neither of our jobs would be possible without the other.)~Imavictim
The No Asshole Rule by Bob Sutton
Posted on May 1, 2007 6:44 AM by Shanti Atkins)
I know this is how I felt EVERYDAY at my last job. Unfortunately for me, the only way into the building (that was unlocked) was to walk by one of the biggest most demoralizing, degrading, belittling
(and don't forget intimidating) person in this world. I felt like I was going to throw up everyday. Should I wave at him?~ NO...he NEVER waves back. Anyway, that's a minor issue. Who cares? Still, it's demoralizing. Show a little gratitude (neither of our jobs would be possible without the other.)~Imavictim
The No Asshole Rule by Bob Sutton
Corinne's Story
Girl to Girl Bullying
Corinne’s Story - “Just Go Home and Kill Yourself”
Corinne Wilson - 09/30/91 – 10/06/04
http://www.bullycide.org/(Bullycide Memorial Page)
“Don’t be afraid of the school, the teachers or administrators.
You must remember they work for you, and your children.
If you don’t stand up for your child, who will?”
Corinne's mom, Rochelle Sides
The bullying came to a head on Oct. 6, 2004. ...one of the girls slapped her and called her a "whore." They said they wished she were dead and that she should “go home and kill herself."
The day my husband and I should have been listening to our daughter perform at the rodeo...we buried her instead.
...It started slowly with rumors, secrets and exclusion; it progressed to harassment and violence. Like most victims of relational aggression, Corinne blamed herself for her bully’s behavior. She internalized her pain and kept the bullying to herself in an attempt to maintain a relationship with her bullies, as many girls do. As a result, it damaged her self-esteem and caused severe depression, which ultimately led to Corinne taking her life.
Rochelle Sides
Corinne’s Story - “Just Go Home and Kill Yourself”
Corinne Wilson - 09/30/91 – 10/06/04
http://www.bullycide.org/(Bullycide Memorial Page)
“Don’t be afraid of the school, the teachers or administrators.
You must remember they work for you, and your children.
If you don’t stand up for your child, who will?”
Corinne's mom, Rochelle Sides
The bullying came to a head on Oct. 6, 2004. ...one of the girls slapped her and called her a "whore." They said they wished she were dead and that she should “go home and kill herself."
The day my husband and I should have been listening to our daughter perform at the rodeo...we buried her instead.
...It started slowly with rumors, secrets and exclusion; it progressed to harassment and violence. Like most victims of relational aggression, Corinne blamed herself for her bully’s behavior. She internalized her pain and kept the bullying to herself in an attempt to maintain a relationship with her bullies, as many girls do. As a result, it damaged her self-esteem and caused severe depression, which ultimately led to Corinne taking her life.
Rochelle Sides
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Workplace Bullying Support Groups
Local Adult Bullying and Workplace Mobbing
Calgary, AB
OvercomeBullying.org
How to Overcome Bullying. OvercomeBullying.org provides information and resources to help you overcome school
and workplace bullying, mobbing and harassment. Speak Out Now! The Speak Out system
is a powerful tool that gives your school or workplace a unique, innovative and affordable way to deal with bullying effectively.
More. Support Group For more information on our Calgary support group please email Anton for further information.
Vancouver, BC
No Bully For Me holds regular monthly-ish meetings. For times and dates of Vancouver meetings 'subscribe' to their newsletter and you will receive notice of their local meetings.
Barrie, ON
The Barrie group will be meeting the first Monday of every month from 7-8:30 at St. Mary's Church, 65 Amelia Street (near intersection of St. Vincent and Duckworth) in meeting room 1.
Chris and Anne are the names of the organisers. Several meetings have been held and
Chris and Anne are looking forward to meeting new attendees.
E-mail Anne or e-mail Chris for details of the Barrie area meetings.
You can also contact Anne by telephone at 705-549-0010.
Montreal, QC
A Montreal area support group is being established. Loredana is the name of the contact. At this stage she is gathering local contacts before holding a first meeting
E-mail Loredana to express interest in a Montreal group.
Halifax/Dartmouth, NS
Employees Against Workplace Bullying (EAWB) will be offering meetings and contact for local targets of workplace bullying. Judy is the contact and can be reached by phone at: 902-402-EAWB or by e-mail here.
Charlottetown, PEI
A local group is starting in Prince Edward Island, especially the Charlottetown area. For more information, please e-mail Tamara.
Green Bay, WI, USA
OvercomeBullying.org Support Group
I am an adult survivor of school bullying. I am looking for others from ages 18 and up to form a supporr for others' like me in the Green Bay area. There are currently no such support groups and I long to connect with others' that went through similar experiences. Meeting times would be every other week on Thursdays from 7-8. I do not have a space to hold the group in yet, but I will find one if I get enough of an intresest. Since I recently experienced bullying in my workplace as well I would welcome those who have experienced bullying in their work place as well.
Email Chelsie for more information. I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank You.
OvercomeBullying.org horizontal rule
Profession Specific Bullying Support Groups
Paramilitary - (Police Force, Correction Facility, Military)
I'd like to connect with anyone else who has been bullied in a paramilitary type organization (police force, correction facility, military just being a few examples). I can be reached by e-mail here.
Canadian Federal Government Workers
Any Federal Government workers out there? E-mail me to compare notes and strategies.
Teachers - North Coast of NSW, Australia
OvercomeBullying.org Support Group
If you are a teacher who has experienced workplace bullying or mobbing and would like to correspond by email and potentially meet for a support group email Linda for more info.
US State, County and Municipal Employees/Contractors
Stop The Bullies is mainly for state, county and municipal employees or contract employees who have been targeted for expulsion or mistreatment and bullying. We have a support network and are also an action group. All are welcome, even those in with private employers as all want the government to be accountable with taxpayers dollars. Confidentiality/anonymity guaranteed if needed. We have a specialty in getting documents out of the various jurisdictions using the Public Disclosure Act. We can also get documents for anybody who doesn't want to get them themselves. Please email us for more information.
For Stop The Bullies!! in Washington State, please go to http://stopthebullies.home.comcast.net. Our groups have the following email addresses:
stopthebullies@comcast.net for civil servants
and
stopthebullies@yahoo.com for private sector employees.
OvercomeBullying.org horizontal rule
Online Bullying Support Groups
Bully OnLine Support Group
The world's leading forum on tackling bullying is open to all and the aim is to provide validation and re-empowerment for those who have suffered work abuse or bullying anywhere.
Nineveh Support Group
Nineveh is a lay Christian ministry whose mission is to provide heartful validation, support, education, and empowerment to individuals who feel they are experiencing bullying, mobbing, and scapegoating in work and organizational environments. While Nineveh is US-based, all are welcome on this forum.
Monster.com Workplace Bullying Forum (NEW FORUM)
An active forum for exchange of information and support for targets of workplace bullying and mobbing.
Monster.com Workplace Bullying Forum (OLD FORUM - NOW CLOSED)
This board remains open as a read-only archive for reference purposes.
jfo (Just Fight On) Online Support Group
Our online support offers a secure environment in which to seek the advice and support you need.
Workbully-Support
The group is intended to provide help and assistance for people bullied at work.
Calgary, AB
OvercomeBullying.org
How to Overcome Bullying. OvercomeBullying.org provides information and resources to help you overcome school
and workplace bullying, mobbing and harassment. Speak Out Now! The Speak Out system
is a powerful tool that gives your school or workplace a unique, innovative and affordable way to deal with bullying effectively.
More. Support Group For more information on our Calgary support group please email Anton for further information.
Vancouver, BC
No Bully For Me holds regular monthly-ish meetings. For times and dates of Vancouver meetings 'subscribe' to their newsletter and you will receive notice of their local meetings.
Barrie, ON
The Barrie group will be meeting the first Monday of every month from 7-8:30 at St. Mary's Church, 65 Amelia Street (near intersection of St. Vincent and Duckworth) in meeting room 1.
Chris and Anne are the names of the organisers. Several meetings have been held and
Chris and Anne are looking forward to meeting new attendees.
E-mail Anne or e-mail Chris for details of the Barrie area meetings.
You can also contact Anne by telephone at 705-549-0010.
Montreal, QC
A Montreal area support group is being established. Loredana is the name of the contact. At this stage she is gathering local contacts before holding a first meeting
E-mail Loredana to express interest in a Montreal group.
Halifax/Dartmouth, NS
Employees Against Workplace Bullying (EAWB) will be offering meetings and contact for local targets of workplace bullying. Judy is the contact and can be reached by phone at: 902-402-EAWB or by e-mail here.
Charlottetown, PEI
A local group is starting in Prince Edward Island, especially the Charlottetown area. For more information, please e-mail Tamara.
Green Bay, WI, USA
OvercomeBullying.org Support Group
I am an adult survivor of school bullying. I am looking for others from ages 18 and up to form a supporr for others' like me in the Green Bay area. There are currently no such support groups and I long to connect with others' that went through similar experiences. Meeting times would be every other week on Thursdays from 7-8. I do not have a space to hold the group in yet, but I will find one if I get enough of an intresest. Since I recently experienced bullying in my workplace as well I would welcome those who have experienced bullying in their work place as well.
Email Chelsie for more information. I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank You.
OvercomeBullying.org horizontal rule
Profession Specific Bullying Support Groups
Paramilitary - (Police Force, Correction Facility, Military)
I'd like to connect with anyone else who has been bullied in a paramilitary type organization (police force, correction facility, military just being a few examples). I can be reached by e-mail here.
Canadian Federal Government Workers
Any Federal Government workers out there? E-mail me to compare notes and strategies.
Teachers - North Coast of NSW, Australia
OvercomeBullying.org Support Group
If you are a teacher who has experienced workplace bullying or mobbing and would like to correspond by email and potentially meet for a support group email Linda for more info.
US State, County and Municipal Employees/Contractors
Stop The Bullies is mainly for state, county and municipal employees or contract employees who have been targeted for expulsion or mistreatment and bullying. We have a support network and are also an action group. All are welcome, even those in with private employers as all want the government to be accountable with taxpayers dollars. Confidentiality/anonymity guaranteed if needed. We have a specialty in getting documents out of the various jurisdictions using the Public Disclosure Act. We can also get documents for anybody who doesn't want to get them themselves. Please email us for more information.
For Stop The Bullies!! in Washington State, please go to http://stopthebullies.home.comcast.net. Our groups have the following email addresses:
stopthebullies@comcast.net for civil servants
and
stopthebullies@yahoo.com for private sector employees.
OvercomeBullying.org horizontal rule
Online Bullying Support Groups
Bully OnLine Support Group
The world's leading forum on tackling bullying is open to all and the aim is to provide validation and re-empowerment for those who have suffered work abuse or bullying anywhere.
Nineveh Support Group
Nineveh is a lay Christian ministry whose mission is to provide heartful validation, support, education, and empowerment to individuals who feel they are experiencing bullying, mobbing, and scapegoating in work and organizational environments. While Nineveh is US-based, all are welcome on this forum.
Monster.com Workplace Bullying Forum (NEW FORUM)
An active forum for exchange of information and support for targets of workplace bullying and mobbing.
Monster.com Workplace Bullying Forum (OLD FORUM - NOW CLOSED)
This board remains open as a read-only archive for reference purposes.
jfo (Just Fight On) Online Support Group
Our online support offers a secure environment in which to seek the advice and support you need.
Workbully-Support
The group is intended to provide help and assistance for people bullied at work.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Pass the anti-bullying HEALTHY WORKPLACE BILL
Pass the anti-bullying HEALTHY WORKPLACE BILL
Please only sign this petition if you are a citizen of the United States.
Workplace bullying -- interpersonal mistreatment, harassment, psychological violence -- directly affects approximately 37% of American workers. That is approximately 54 million Americans! It poses an occupational health hazard. Too few targeted individuals complain. (http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/anti-bullying-healthy-workplace-bill.html)
Please only sign this petition if you are a citizen of the United States.
Workplace bullying -- interpersonal mistreatment, harassment, psychological violence -- directly affects approximately 37% of American workers. That is approximately 54 million Americans! It poses an occupational health hazard. Too few targeted individuals complain. (http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/anti-bullying-healthy-workplace-bill.html)
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
I Hate My Job~(Not Really, Just the Bullies!)
These next couple of paragraphs seems to sum up the majority of my working life. A lot of my research comes from one of my fav websites http://www.overcomebullying.org/i-hate-my-job.html.
If I'm thinking it, they're saying it, so I have gotten permission to share some important parts of their articles, the exact words I would say to describe many people's working lives today.
Just as the article says, the BULLY is usually the one who gets FIRED. Why is this?
It's (in my opinion) because the bullies have so much control over you, your job, your life, and everything that surrounds you, that they have the POWER & the WILLINGNESS to ruin your life mentally, physically and emotionally. I believe this raises the self esteem of the Bullier to know that they can "manipulate" you and your mind to near craziness.
Unfortunately, with no solid law for someone subtly driving you literally mentally crazy, my answer would be find a very good psychiatrist (which is what I did during my last job~(very belittling & demeaning acts of shovinism) until someone is able to pull this law through.~ Imavictim
I Hate My Job, I Hate My Job, I ...
Do You Want to Quit Your Job-From-Hell But Feel Trapped Because You Need the Money?
But Can You Really Afford to Stay?
OvercomeBullying.org - I Hate My Job, I Hate My Job!
Jean-François Dupuis
What is Workplace Bullying Costing You?
Your Health, Your Dignity, Your Sanity — Your LIFE ?
You know that workplace bullying is destroying your physical and mental health, but you have to pay the bills and you feel trapped. So you go in to work for one more day, hoping today the abuse will stop, but it doesn't. It gets worse and worse and keeps on escalating because the ultimate goal of workplace bullies is to wear you down, destroy your health, your sanity and ultimately your career.
If "I hate my job, I hate my job, I hate my job!" is your daily mantra it's time to start considering other options. Life is too short (and getting shorter due to the effects of stress).
Can you afford to wait until you have been so severly injured and traumatized that you can barely function? In the majority of cases it is the target of bullying who is the one that gets fired. Don't wait until it's too late and you are terminated before taking action.
If I'm thinking it, they're saying it, so I have gotten permission to share some important parts of their articles, the exact words I would say to describe many people's working lives today.
Just as the article says, the BULLY is usually the one who gets FIRED. Why is this?
It's (in my opinion) because the bullies have so much control over you, your job, your life, and everything that surrounds you, that they have the POWER & the WILLINGNESS to ruin your life mentally, physically and emotionally. I believe this raises the self esteem of the Bullier to know that they can "manipulate" you and your mind to near craziness.
Unfortunately, with no solid law for someone subtly driving you literally mentally crazy, my answer would be find a very good psychiatrist (which is what I did during my last job~(very belittling & demeaning acts of shovinism) until someone is able to pull this law through.~ Imavictim
I Hate My Job, I Hate My Job, I ...
Do You Want to Quit Your Job-From-Hell But Feel Trapped Because You Need the Money?
But Can You Really Afford to Stay?
OvercomeBullying.org - I Hate My Job, I Hate My Job!
Jean-François Dupuis
What is Workplace Bullying Costing You?
Your Health, Your Dignity, Your Sanity — Your LIFE ?
You know that workplace bullying is destroying your physical and mental health, but you have to pay the bills and you feel trapped. So you go in to work for one more day, hoping today the abuse will stop, but it doesn't. It gets worse and worse and keeps on escalating because the ultimate goal of workplace bullies is to wear you down, destroy your health, your sanity and ultimately your career.
If "I hate my job, I hate my job, I hate my job!" is your daily mantra it's time to start considering other options. Life is too short (and getting shorter due to the effects of stress).
Can you afford to wait until you have been so severly injured and traumatized that you can barely function? In the majority of cases it is the target of bullying who is the one that gets fired. Don't wait until it's too late and you are terminated before taking action.
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Workplace~2nd Leading Cause in Workplace Deaths
Great Article from Associated Content
Here's the Link:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/218121/workplace_bullying_the_growing_trend.html
"It has become a growing trend to see co-workers bullying and fighting one another. OSHA has even implemented a plan to stop this. This type of violence even results in death.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA), it is estimated that 1.5 million workers are assaulted each year. Homicide is the second-leading cause of workplace deaths.
Workplace violence has taken place in many different work environments. Some of those are malls, law offices, banks, airports, government offices, schools, restaurants, libraries, and many more. Workplace violence can occur in any working environment. While there may be early warning signs in some situations, at times there will be no warning signs at all.
Incidents such as these can be tragic not only for the victim/s, but for their families and friends, and even for the public.
In a recent act of workplace violence, a disturbed student killed 32 teachers, staff, and students. While the gunman was not a faculty member or employee, the employees were still at risk. (http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou070416_mh_campusshootings.15cd031b.html)
In another recent workplace attack, a disgruntled tenant shot and killed an apartment manager along with another tenant. (http://www.khou.com/news/local/crime/stories/khou070425_tnt_complex911call.aa80e06.html)
These incidents are not alone. It would be impossible to list them all.
The most predictable workplace violent acts are those committed by employees. The reason for this is that if the employer pays attention to the workers, there will often be warning signs and behavioral patterns that can help the employer to assess whether a particular person is violent or not.
Some of these signs include the following:
-The employee may act out his or her emotions aggressively, such as slamming doors, yelling, shouting, slamming papers, etc...
-An employee may blame others for his mistakes and not be bothered at all by this, seeing no consequences for his actions."
Here's the Link:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/218121/workplace_bullying_the_growing_trend.html
"It has become a growing trend to see co-workers bullying and fighting one another. OSHA has even implemented a plan to stop this. This type of violence even results in death.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA), it is estimated that 1.5 million workers are assaulted each year. Homicide is the second-leading cause of workplace deaths.
Workplace violence has taken place in many different work environments. Some of those are malls, law offices, banks, airports, government offices, schools, restaurants, libraries, and many more. Workplace violence can occur in any working environment. While there may be early warning signs in some situations, at times there will be no warning signs at all.
Incidents such as these can be tragic not only for the victim/s, but for their families and friends, and even for the public.
In a recent act of workplace violence, a disturbed student killed 32 teachers, staff, and students. While the gunman was not a faculty member or employee, the employees were still at risk. (http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou070416_mh_campusshootings.15cd031b.html)
In another recent workplace attack, a disgruntled tenant shot and killed an apartment manager along with another tenant. (http://www.khou.com/news/local/crime/stories/khou070425_tnt_complex911call.aa80e06.html)
These incidents are not alone. It would be impossible to list them all.
The most predictable workplace violent acts are those committed by employees. The reason for this is that if the employer pays attention to the workers, there will often be warning signs and behavioral patterns that can help the employer to assess whether a particular person is violent or not.
Some of these signs include the following:
-The employee may act out his or her emotions aggressively, such as slamming doors, yelling, shouting, slamming papers, etc...
-An employee may blame others for his mistakes and not be bothered at all by this, seeing no consequences for his actions."
WKYT.COM
In my opinion, it is unfortunate that these bullying acts in early adolescence are not controlled, therefore this is why bullying in the workplace is so common.~Imavictim
I found this article on wkyt.com
Experts Say Bullying Leads To Violent Deaths In Schools
Posted: 11:33 PM Feb 19, 2008
Last Updated: 2:40 AM Feb 20, 2008
Reporter: Jeff Allen
Email Address: jeff.allen@wymtnews.com
"Experts say it's a problem that leads to violent deaths in schools every year.
That problem is bullying and one man's message is aimed at stopping the problem.
“Bullies are just like dogs, if you keep giving them attention they'll keep on aggravating you,” Bryan Roberts said.
That's why martial arts instructor Bryan Roberts tells students to simply walk away from bullies.
Roberts says it affects about one in four kids some on the receiving end others.
Experts say girls are verbally attacking each other more and more.
Experts say those feelings can linger for years.
“Hopefully, if we can stop the problem they won't carry that into the workforce as adults,” Roberts said.
Statistics show kids who continue to bully other kids have a good chance of committing crimes as young adults and that is all the more reason to stop the problem early.
Statistics also show about a fourth of teachers don't do anything to stop bullying because they don't recognize it as a problem".
If you would like Bryan Roberts to speak at your school you can find contact him at this website
http://www.silverdragonma.com/index.shtml
I found this article on wkyt.com
Experts Say Bullying Leads To Violent Deaths In Schools
Posted: 11:33 PM Feb 19, 2008
Last Updated: 2:40 AM Feb 20, 2008
Reporter: Jeff Allen
Email Address: jeff.allen@wymtnews.com
"Experts say it's a problem that leads to violent deaths in schools every year.
That problem is bullying and one man's message is aimed at stopping the problem.
“Bullies are just like dogs, if you keep giving them attention they'll keep on aggravating you,” Bryan Roberts said.
That's why martial arts instructor Bryan Roberts tells students to simply walk away from bullies.
Roberts says it affects about one in four kids some on the receiving end others.
Experts say girls are verbally attacking each other more and more.
Experts say those feelings can linger for years.
“Hopefully, if we can stop the problem they won't carry that into the workforce as adults,” Roberts said.
Statistics show kids who continue to bully other kids have a good chance of committing crimes as young adults and that is all the more reason to stop the problem early.
Statistics also show about a fourth of teachers don't do anything to stop bullying because they don't recognize it as a problem".
If you would like Bryan Roberts to speak at your school you can find contact him at this website
http://www.silverdragonma.com/index.shtml
Thanks For Support, Sweet Violet
"Legislation is only half the battle. People who haven't been bullied don't take it seriously. Victims of bullies, if they complain, are often viewed more negatively than the bullies. Bullying is a source of amusement and humour for a lot of people, most especially the on-lookers.
If legislation against bullying is to work, it must be crafted so that, like sexual harrassment, it does not require witnesses to corroborate the victims' complaints, otherwise bullies will use this as a loophole to avoid prosecution: isolate the victim where nobody will see. And it must be aimed at adult-adult bullying as well as kids. And it should include a cyber-component as well, to prevent electronically-based hate campaigns, such as the one that caused that 13-year-old girl to commit suicide.
And there should be penalties for conviction that are comparable to penalties for assault because that's what it is...assault. Without significant penalties, the law will be ignored.
I think you are fighting an uphill battle, here, but so were those who got the sexual harrassment, racial discrimination, and hate speech laws passed. It can be done, and I wish you luck."~Comment to me by Sweet Violet, BlogCatalog
If legislation against bullying is to work, it must be crafted so that, like sexual harrassment, it does not require witnesses to corroborate the victims' complaints, otherwise bullies will use this as a loophole to avoid prosecution: isolate the victim where nobody will see. And it must be aimed at adult-adult bullying as well as kids. And it should include a cyber-component as well, to prevent electronically-based hate campaigns, such as the one that caused that 13-year-old girl to commit suicide.
And there should be penalties for conviction that are comparable to penalties for assault because that's what it is...assault. Without significant penalties, the law will be ignored.
I think you are fighting an uphill battle, here, but so were those who got the sexual harrassment, racial discrimination, and hate speech laws passed. It can be done, and I wish you luck."~Comment to me by Sweet Violet, BlogCatalog
My BlogCatalog Discussion
jafabrit has commented on my BlogCatalog duscussion:
"My daughter went through a terrible episode of bullying ( a group even started we hate so and so club online) and the worst part of it was the chosen indifference of the school. They just didn't want to deal with it and used several ways to try and deflect it even being addressed.
It culminated in my daughter being physcially assaulted on school premises with plenty of witnesses. I called the police and filed charges. Even then we had an uphill battle.
I feel schools and workplace have to be much more proactive in dealing with it rather than hoping it will just go away. How that can happen I don't know, unless there are laws that provide a framework that they can use".
http://www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/been-bullied-at-work-or-school-please-read-and-comment
"My daughter went through a terrible episode of bullying ( a group even started we hate so and so club online) and the worst part of it was the chosen indifference of the school. They just didn't want to deal with it and used several ways to try and deflect it even being addressed.
It culminated in my daughter being physcially assaulted on school premises with plenty of witnesses. I called the police and filed charges. Even then we had an uphill battle.
I feel schools and workplace have to be much more proactive in dealing with it rather than hoping it will just go away. How that can happen I don't know, unless there are laws that provide a framework that they can use".
http://www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/been-bullied-at-work-or-school-please-read-and-comment
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Workplace Bullying ~Danger to Your Health
Workplace bullying is a widespread, health-endangering form of abuse that's rarely discussed or even acknowledged. If you've been bullied or know someone who has been, get information, advice and support from Monster members.
http://monster.prospero.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?webtag=mstworkbully
http://monster.prospero.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?webtag=mstworkbully
Comments
MadameX has commented on my blog:
"I'm not sure what you mean about the law. There is no specific law against "bullying", but threatening physical violence is a crime, unwelcome touching is a crime even if it does no harm, taking or destruction of other people's property is a crime...it's pretty hard to think of a form of "abuse" that could cause death and yet wouldn't fall under an existing criminal statute."~BlogCatalog Discussion
Reply:
Thanks for the comment. I am not up to speed completely on all my research, so please comment back if you disagree. I recently came across www.jaredstory.com (while researching my own battles of depression and suicide from workplace and school bullying and uncivil acts). Is it then considered a form of "abuse" or a "crime" if someone kills themselves because of this aggressive type of bullying? Should there be a law? Do you really know what your children are going through? I don't. Sometimes my 11 year old son speaks and sometimes he doesn't. What if this happened to him as it did Jared? Would I think he was abused, yes. Would I think the bullying was a cause of his death, yes. Would I blame myself for not knowing what was going on outside of home. Yes. Would I blame other parents? Yes. I believe (in my own opinion) that someone never subject to ridicule, shame, embarrassment or intimidation (because they may be perfect to others in one way or another) may not understand how bullying can truly take control of a person's life. Sexual Harassment is a law. Is bullying any better? All comments are my opinion only.
"I'm not sure what you mean about the law. There is no specific law against "bullying", but threatening physical violence is a crime, unwelcome touching is a crime even if it does no harm, taking or destruction of other people's property is a crime...it's pretty hard to think of a form of "abuse" that could cause death and yet wouldn't fall under an existing criminal statute."~BlogCatalog Discussion
Reply:
Thanks for the comment. I am not up to speed completely on all my research, so please comment back if you disagree. I recently came across www.jaredstory.com (while researching my own battles of depression and suicide from workplace and school bullying and uncivil acts). Is it then considered a form of "abuse" or a "crime" if someone kills themselves because of this aggressive type of bullying? Should there be a law? Do you really know what your children are going through? I don't. Sometimes my 11 year old son speaks and sometimes he doesn't. What if this happened to him as it did Jared? Would I think he was abused, yes. Would I think the bullying was a cause of his death, yes. Would I blame myself for not knowing what was going on outside of home. Yes. Would I blame other parents? Yes. I believe (in my own opinion) that someone never subject to ridicule, shame, embarrassment or intimidation (because they may be perfect to others in one way or another) may not understand how bullying can truly take control of a person's life. Sexual Harassment is a law. Is bullying any better? All comments are my opinion only.
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