H: Harassment & Health - Bullying

Harassment covers a wide range of offensive behaviour. It is commonly understood as behaviour intended to disturb or upset, In the legal sense, it is behaviour which is found threatening or disturbing. Sexual harassment refers to persistent and unwanted sexual advances, typically in the workplace, where the consequences of refusing are potentially very disadvantageous to the victim. (Wikipedia) 

The bully will often humiliate the target, sometimes publicly. I'm sure each country has their own devastating cases, so I won't go into local details. Enough to say the consequences of bullying can be fatal.

Being bullied is like feeling
you're inside a cage
with no means of escape.

Health: Serial bullying is known to have long term affects on your health and it has been hypothesised that the result of long term stress may lead to brain damage. Targets may take increased sick leave, become forgetful, hyper-vigilant, lose enthusiasm for life in general, become confused and lack motivation.

Sleep may become extremely broken with nightmares becoming frequent. Constant fatigue is the result, leading to lack of reserves when ill-health strikes. Flashbacks can occur resulting in panic attacks. There may be a feeling of having been betrayed, leaving the bullied person with feelings of worthlessness and vulnerability.

Employers who encourage, expect or tolerate stressful (or bullying) regimes where employees have little control over their environment (such as police, military, emergency services etc) or where victims are blamed rather than supported are contributing to the poor health of its workforce.  As I mentioned previously they may be violating the right of workers to a safe workplace.

It doesn't help to "kick 'em while they're down"

Legislation was introduced in Australia this week (April 2011) to tackle the problem and those found guilty could face jail. News article here.

In the same week, the Australian defence forces have another reported incident of serious bullying of a female recruit, and a teacher was withdrawn from class for abusing children in his class.

I wonder how many schools that teacher has been in, and how many covered up and simply moved him on rather than take appropriate action. How many parents didn't listen or believe their child? How many parents are intimidated by the education system and lack the confidence to complain? How many parents who find the courage and strength to complain are told "We'll take care of this. Trust us"? ... and nothing happens.

The Lucky Country?
Or a place that needs to tackle some serious endemic problems

Here tomorrow: Intimidation & International Students


How to do a hyperlink signature here


There are many outstanding resources on line. A couple I find useful are Bullying. No way! an Australian resource for teachers and students, and a UK site Bully On Line. This is in no way an exhaustive list, and each country will no doubt have equally good or more relevant websites. If you're being bullied please seek advice from a professional health care practitioner experienced in this area.

Over at jumpingaground I'm spending the month Drabbling using alliteration, mostly with a climate related theme.
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On the importance of Mental Health Days

Oh dearie me. there are times when I really don't want to get up and go to work. I'm really good with premonitions. It's sunday evening and I already know that I won't want to get up tomorrow morning!

It's not that I don't enjoy work hugely when I'm there. I genuinely love time spent with my clients in the assorted workplaces I've nestled in. I know I'm very fortunate to have satisfaction and variety in my worklife. But when it's cold, wet and windy, and I know the traffic is going to be heavy and aggressively unforgiving, I tend to become a bit sluggish and niggly, even the night before.

It's tough having the kind of cold feet that woolly socks can't cure. When you drag yourself off to your place of employment feeling resentful and grumpy. Sometimes it's possible to use your favourite defusion technique to overcome this, to accept the dreary feelings and make room for them, but when it doesn't work...bah. (And for stay at home mums, the challenge is even greater. How can you escape?)

One friend confessed recently that she became so grouchy at work one day that she feigned a headache: "oooooaaah I feel a migraine coming on" and scarpered. Much better than snapping unreasonably at ones colleagues don't you think?

We all know what it's like to have a snitchy or deeply unhappy colleague in the office. Unfortunately, the grouchiness can rub off. It can be caught, and passed on like the virulent virus it is.

In response, I'd like to promote the occasional "mental health day" as a buffer for when the doldrums strike. I think we all need a bit of space sometimes. When the pressure is off, and we can kick the expectations aside, shrug off the constraints and commune with our informal selves... of course when one 'ought' to be at work, it's all the sweeter ;-)

FYI: No work commitments were avoided to write this post. I picked the violets under leaden sky, between squalls and icy gusts of wind.

Their glorious fragrance has transformed my mood.