Challenging workplace bullying falls on all of us

Many parents will know how difficult it is to deal with bullying at school, and many of our children have demonstrated very different reactions to physical bullying among their peers. Some become withdrawn; others react extremely emotionally to otherwise normal, everyday situations; and numerous, tragically, have taken their lives as a result.

For those of us older than 40, the term “bullying” is largely associated with physical or verbal confrontations or maybe the ebb and flow of friendships, but, for the younger members of the profession, the digital age has brought a new genre of bullying within the world of social media.

Despite a far wider awareness by teachers and some robust school protocols, bullying remains a worrying conundrum for many children and parents. In a world where “fitting in” is almost mandatory for young people, any form of exclusion by their peers can be greatly disturbing.

It would be easy to simply assume it’s only the young who might hide behind the anonymity of digital posting to indulge in vicious or controlling behaviours, but, clearly, the hate messages politicians and many others in the public eye receive indicates this is not the case.

It’s easy to understand how the total avoidance of personal contact might make anonymous postings seem safe and attractive to those who lack the normal respect for others, and is perhaps akin to the difference between shooting a person at long distance with a rifle and having to do the deed face to face. However easy it may be to understand, digital abuse remains shocking and is heinous to the great majority of us.

Survey results

One might think all forms of bullying are conducted secretly where others cannot see or intervene, but, again in reality, that’s not the case. In a survey among vets and VNs, set up by VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk in association with Vet Times and VN Times, the most frequently reported and repeated instances of such behaviour were being belittled in front of other staff (73%) and the fourth ranking behaviour was having their authority undermined to others in the practice (50%).

Several other behaviours had the effect of reducing confidence and/or intimidation, but the two instances cited serve to demonstrate others were directly or indirectly involved in the process. The survey did not, as far as I can see, ask whether others intervened, but few of us would doubt the normal course of behaviour would be to remain uninvolved wherever possible. It’s not a comfortable reality, but I would gamble a serious amount of my rapidly dwindling savings most of us have done that over the years.

Intriguingly, the survey indicated most vets were likely to be bullied by other vets and most nurses by other nurses, which probably makes sense to those more skilled in psychology than me, and I am ever so slightly disturbed my first reaction to those findings is some misplaced relief that this process was not hierarchical within practice.

As Arlo Guthrie, the designer of the survey, said: “There have been 680 reports and if, as the data suggests, these are from different practices then it is something that goes on in a significant proportion of veterinary practices.” That should worry all of us.

BVA senior vice-president Gudrun Ravetz added: “As a profession, we should not accept any form of harassment or bullying. We work in an environment with numerous competing demands, and pulling together as a team is absolutely crucial to make our workplaces positive and productive environments for employers, employees and the clients who work through our doors.”

With almost three-quarters of colleagues who responded reporting some form of exclusion from the practice team with frequent instances of being belittled in front of other staff, we should all feel some real concern for these individuals and the unavoidable effects such behaviour would have on the mental health of those on the receiving end.

One benefit of the Christmas holiday season is the rash of social events where we get to spend time with others whom we may never have met or meet less frequently and, during the several parties I attended last Christmas, I’ve been intrigued to learn this pattern of team dynamics is repeated among other professions – notably nursing within the NHS, midwifery and the legal profession – if the stories recounted to me can be trusted.

I have no reason to suspect otherwise and have had cause to watch, from the periphery, when a member of my own family experienced the same behaviour within the NHS.

Heads above the parapet

It may sound scary to consider putting our own head above the parapet in support of a maligned colleague, and it certainly flies in the face of the human delight taken in gossiping, but the reality is such behaviours as were reported in the survey are recognisable forms of abuse.

For those of us living in Scotland, it was interesting to learn around 14,000 Police Scotland officers were to receive specialist training in preparation for a domestic abuse crime coming into force in Scotland, which is believed to be unique in law internationally. The training will help officers spot seemingly innocuous actions that are part of a cycle of psychological abuse or coercive control.

Although an offence of coercive control was introduced in England in 2015, the Scottish legislation reflects a growing understanding that domestic abuse is often a course of behaviour that extends over a period of time and includes not only physical violence.

The domestic abuse bill will create a specific offence that will cover not only physical domestic abuse, but other forms of psychological abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour that cannot easily be prosecuted using the existing criminal law.

Abusive behaviour in the workplace is equally reprehensible and it falls to every one of us to challenge this.