Stopping bullying in the workplace and in life: Anti-Bullying Stopping bullying in the workplace and in life:

Objectives To understand the many ways in which bullying can take place To understand the effects bullying can have on an individual’s life and general wellbeing To be able to identify when bullying is taking place and take the appropriate action and know where to go to get help

What is bullying? The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) defines bullying as: “Behaviour by an individual or group, usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group, either physically or emotionally.”

Bullying can have many faces:

Recognising bullying   There are many instances of bullying behaviour in the workplace, such as the following: Being constantly criticised, having duties and responsibility taken away without good reason Shouting, aggressive behaviour or threats Being put down or made to feel like the butt of the jokes Being persistently picked on in front of others or in private Being constantly ignored, victimised and excluded regularly Constantly mocking and attacking members of staff Misuse of power or position to make someone feel uncomfortable or victimised Making threats about job security without any basis or substance Blocking promotion or progress within the workplace

What effects can bullying have on a person? People being bullied may Become withdrawn Not join in with social events Feel a loss of self confidence Live in a state of fear of the next event See themselves as the problem

These are just a few signs of bullying and there are many more and it is dependent on the organisation or the industry too.  Unfortunately, bullying can take its toll on your health and wellbeing.  If you do feel that you are under duress, make an appointment with your GP so that you are able to get support for this. It is important to keep a record of all incidents with times, dates, witnesses and what happened.  This will help you enormously, especially if you decide to take this further.  

If you are feeling bullied, confide in a manager or the Human Resources department in your workplace.  This might not be so easy to do if it is a small organisation or you are being harassed or bullied by a manager.  You could ask your HR department if they have a policy in place to deal with bullying and harassment at work. As a learner at Oaklands College you can also talk to your tutor of assessor for advice.

If you feel as though you are experiencing bullying in the workplace, this can be a very devastating and distressing issue.  You may be feeling very low and anxious at the thought of going to work and facing the individual or group that may be subjecting you to this.  Workplace bullying can take shape or form in many different ways.  You may be questioning whether what you are going through is workplace bullying and a lot of this depends on if you actually are feeling bullied or harassed by a particular individual or a group of people.

Facts about bullying What is bullying? Its often hard to decide what bullying is, the following web site may be of help http://www.handsonscotland.co.uk/topics/anger/bullying_videos/what_is_bullying.htm What is a bully? http://www.handsonscotland.co.uk/topics/anger/bullying_videos/what_is_a_bully.htm

Why do people bully others? There are many reasons who people bully others This can be because they feel inadequate about themselves so they like to demean others. They feel it gives them a sense of power They have a problem controlling their anger (may be due to drink, drugs or home life issues). They like to get a sense of control over others

The reason why people bully others are wide ranging, however it does not excuse the behaviour. Bullying in the workplace is not acceptable and you do not have to put up with it. Not dealing with the issue may result in it getting worse. It is important to remember that bullies only thrive when they are not challenged.

What you can do to stop bullying? Step 1: Recognize that you are being bullied and that this is not acceptable behaviour from those who are bullying you. Step 2: Take action- tell the person/s who are doing it that you will not accept their behaviour and that it must stop, then report too someone who can take suitable action.

Step 3: Make leaders and your organizations accountable Step 3: Make leaders and your organizations accountable. If step 2 does not have the desired result make your complain formal and have it documented and ask what action the management are going to take.

Who you can talk to about bullying at work or else where? Student Services Your tutor/assessor A member of your family Friend Email/phone help lines

Useful Websites for help and advice on bullying in the workplace and in else where: General advice for young persons www.ChildLine.org.uk/Bullying Advice leaflet - Bullying and harassment at work: Guidance for employees http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=797 Bullying at work information from Unison http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/13375.pdf Information about discrimination and your rights https://www.gov.uk/discrimination-your-rights/types-of-discrimination Mind's Legal Advice Service (for help with bullying over mental health issues in the workplace) legal@mind.org.uk For advice on dealing with cyber bulling http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/preventing-cyber-bullying/6131.html

More web sites for advice Tackling bullying at work, guidence from Unison http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/18989.pdf General advice for young people on bullying http://www.bullying.co.uk/advice/young-people-advice?gclid=CKrl0-vT9LMCFcrItAod-kEAUg Advice on bullying in the workplace http://www.bullying.co.uk/advice/workplace-bullying Advice on young people on bullying issues http://www.childline.org.uk/explore/bullying/pages/bullying.aspx Advice and support for LGBT http://www.outlinesurrey.org