Characteristics Of A Bully

Bullying in the Workplace

Workplace bullying can have an adverse effect, both for those who suffer from it and for the employers who experience disrupted workplaces.

It is difficult to assess the prevalence of bullying in the workplace, but the Labour Relations Agency deals with over 1,000 enquiries on workplace bullying each year, and it could be assumed that there are many more below the surface.

Bullying can describe a range of behaviours, but a reasonably comprehensive definition might be “where one person or persons engage in unwanted conduct in relation to another person which has the purpose or effect of violating that person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that person.” The stereotypical image is that of a boss or manager acting as the bully, but it frequently arises between colleagues or from customers and clients. The ramifications include some degree of anxiety or stress for employees (and in extreme cases, physical harm) and lower productivity for employers as a consequence of higher absenteeism and reduced morale.

Workplace bullying has not been directly legislated for, but the issue has in recent years arisen under the ambit of other pieces of legislation. The lack of specific legislation on workplace bullying means that a direct complaint to an industrial tribunal cannot be taken. In general terms, health and safety law requires that all employers safeguard the welfare of their employees and so have a duty of care for their physical and mental well-being. The act of bullying may fall under The Protection from Harassment (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 which makes non specific harassment a criminal offence. A landmark 2006 case in the House of Lords (Majrowski v Guy's and St Thomas's NHS Trust) confirmed that an employer is liable for acts of harassment committed by her/his employees and can therefore be sued even if no claim is made against the person who actually committed the harassment.

Bullying should be distinguished from harassment which relates specifically to protected characteristics covered by anti- discrimination law, i.e. those acts motivated by prejudice on the grounds of or related to sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, religious belief, political opinion, race, disability and age. It is also an implied term, as derived from case law, of every employment contract that employees have the right to work in a healthy and safe working environment free from harassment, bullying and discrimination. Employers can also be taken to court on the basis of a claim of negligence – if the employer is aware of the bullying or could have reasonably foreseen that it would take place and have a negative impact on the employee in question. This was confirmed by the House of Lords in (Waters v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis). As a matter of last resort, if an employee has been forced out of work, then they may be able to claim ‘constructive dismissal’ if they have worked for their employer for at least a year. As this is very difficult to prove, the employee should ensure that they have exhausted the in-house procedure/grievance procedure (as per the new Labour Relations Agency Code of Practice).

One in every five children has suffered cyber-bullying | Online ...

ALMOST a fifth of young people in the UK have been the victims of cyber-bullying, according to new research.

Youngsters said it damaged their confidence and self-esteem as well as mental and emotional well-being.

Many suggested cyber-bullying, like other forms of bullying, could “push people over the edge” leading to suicides. Respondents in the online s

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tudy examining the scale of cyber-bullying and its effects wrote about cyber- bullying “messing with people’s heads”, and causing “upset” and “depression”.

Researchers found that cyber-bullying – using the internet or mobile phones – was far more prevalent among girls.

Of those surveyed, 18.4 per cent admitted that they were a victim of cyber-bullying and 69 per cent of those bullied were female.

Steven Walker, who led the research which surveyed almost 500 young people aged between ten and 19, said that while most online interactions were neutral or positive, the internet provided a new method of bullying.

“Some people who cyber-bully think that they won’t get caught if they do it on a mobile phone or on the internet,” he said.

“The people who cyber-bully are usually jealous, angry or want to have revenge on someone, often for no reason at all.”

More than a quarter of victims said they had stayed away from school because of it, and more than a third had stopped socialising outside school.

Mr Walker, principal lecturer in child and adolescent mental health at Anglia Ruskin University, said: “Cyber-bullies often think that getting their group of friends to laugh at someone makes them look cool or more popular.

“Some people also bully others as a form of entertainment or because they are bored and have too much time on their hands. Many do it for laughs or just to get a reaction.

“Many of the respondents in our study thought that cyber-bullies do not actually think they are bullying. In the main, they thought cyber-bullying was seen by bullies as merely a form of ‘harmless fun’, a joke and therefore not an issue. “

Brian Donnelly, director of Respectme, an anti-bullying organisation, said: “We are glad to see a study focusing not on the characteristics of people doing the bullying or receiving it, but on the effects on mental health and well-being of those being targeted.

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