Bullying happens because silent witnesses allow it to happen - they are some of the main perpetrators of this abuse... they creep around in silence watching the bully at work...like Andrew in my university... like Carol... like Elaine... like.... (pseudonyms)
Bullying happens because it is condoned by UCU...
Sally Hunt refuses to name workplace bullying yet she wants to lead a union whose members are bullied relentlessly as Petra Boynton and others discovered in 2005 - bullying is rife in universities...
...we saw a photograph of Sally in the Times Higher this week (16/3/07)- alone and sitting on a step- against the background of what?
...this is a picture of our leader...this is how she allows herself to be presented... turn over the page of your Times Higher ...look at Wendy Piatt - director-general of the Russell group of universities - 'the woman marshalling fire power for the intellectual battles ahead'... we need someone like this... where is she sitting... what image does this create... how do we read this picture...
...a shame that tackling work place bullying doesn't feature in Wendy's list of things that she wants to address...
Bullies are sad people - they bully because they know they can get away with it... we don't need to see photographs of these sad people on here...
...universites that tolerate bullying need help...
...people who bully need help...
...silent witnesses need....
Aphra Behn
6 comments:
Naming and shaming...
Don't hand it to them on a plate...
We are academics... our skills are analysis...literature reviews...amassing the evidence... building theories...working with other academics...using our skills to win... not the easy chanting of names...name calling... so satisfying emotionally...so seductive...
...might make us feel better...for a moment...
...but it's playing into their hands...
Is this despair?
Aphra Behn
No, naming and shaming is opposite of despair. May be universities need another Fabrikant scenario to wake up.
OK, I am listening to both of you...
Perhaps we should debate a bit whether 'naming and shaming' is something useful that we should engage with when we have the facts, or is it something to be avoided because it plays into the hands of the aggressors?
It is true that if one 'names and shames', then one faces the possibility of legal action, libel, slander etc. Although it is very rare for a university to go down that legal path because it is very expensive, plus there is a chance they could loose a legal battle especially if one has the facts to prove their original claims in 'naming and shaming.'
There is also the responsibility to warn other colleagues, to let people know what kind of management they will be dealing with when they take on jobs in certain workplaces.
Tim Field and perhaps others, have argued that the biggest fear the bully has is exposure, and I have to agree with this. If one was to 'name and shame', i.e. to expose a particular workplace or bully manager, then no doubt one is exposing weaknesses, lack of principles and natural justice, incompetence, favouritism etc. The last thing the bully would want is for the world to know what hides behind that slimy smile.
When this happens, the bully is likely to react in a negative way or try to ignore it.
Just some thoughts...
Yes I think it is a great idea to debate the issues and to move forward through debate...tentatively and with an open mind....
Naming and shaming maybe comes from an emotional reaction - to get your own back - a bit like the playground reaction - Prem hit me - naming and shaming - it's a strategy that the gov use a lot - they name and shame - but those that they name and shame - schools in OFSTED inspections - have very little power so they can't do anything about it...
also naming and shaming puts the focus on the bully - and research says that people bully if they can get away with it...... the focus needs to be on the institution that condones bullying and those silent witnesses
...if we name and shame on here then we possibly get the blog removed etc etc- we go down a different route and get diverted...
I believe that this plays into their hands - they want us to name and shame - it diverts attn and energy away from the key issues - what is bullying - how do we understand it - why do some institutions condone it -
this blog is building a power base from which to publish and research and understand the politics etc etc behind wpb...
..when I go to my grievance committee it will feel good to be able to make statements like ' there is a growing international body of research that suggests that the focus should be on the institution not on the personailities...' They are encouraging me to name and shame - but I don't intend to do that - the management may want to sit back while I have a spat with individuals - this lets them off the hook...
...this blog is being read by many people who can take the literature and developed their own base from which to explore bullying...
...to build a research base...
..let's debate more...
Aphra Behn
I am discovering that a bully does not always fear exposure...
If the target is positioned so that they are held in contempt then there is nothing to fear from them...
...and those who point a finger and say - I have been bullied - are held in contempt...
What is it to have evidence - the power is with those who define reality - the bullies - I shall be interested to see what happens to my evidence - is there such a thing as evidence of bullying - there are always other interpretations -
Show me your evidence and I will rip it to shreds... I will laugh in your face at your evidence...
.. we have evidence that you are worthless...that is our evidence...
Target you will not penetrate my slimy smile with your talk of evidence...
We will open our lips wide and laugh at you...
It is not pathetic crumbs of evidence that will expose the bully...
...it will be a much longer road..
...but this blog is a start
Aphra Behn
you do not need evidence that you have been bullied as such, profile them, it is easy to get evidence that they lie casually, that they steal, so easy...profile them
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