tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28080901.post5263107669048126468..comments2024-03-20T08:37:50.011+00:00Comments on Bullying of Academics in Higher Education: Literature on effective interventions to prevent and manage bullying at workUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28080901.post-1669407574276084772007-01-23T21:24:00.000+00:002007-01-23T21:24:00.000+00:00The whole issue of intervention is so amazingly un...The whole issue of intervention is so amazingly undeveloped - just today I saw a press release via CCN Matthews ("news distribution experts") saying <b>"Amicus, with the support of the DTI, is running the world's biggest anti-bullying project - a new website for advice on how to deal with bullying in the workplace"</b> co-sponsored by the DTI. Yet on searching for the new DignityAtWork website - omitted by the news experts - there is no mention of intervention! <i>(http://www.ccnmatthews.com/news/releases/show.jsp?action=showRelease&actionFor=631523 and http://www.dignityatwork.org/default.htm)</i><br /><br />Interventions I have seen mentioned by those affected by bullying include 1) (externally audited) statistical monitoring, 2) acceptance of a uniform definition of bullying, 3) exit interviews to determine why staff are leaving, 4) emotional intelligence screening, 5) support of the target in situ (i.e. any intervention must impact the bully, not the target), 6) state appointment of an external reviewer of bullying cases (or an approved mechanism for third-party review).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28080901.post-4915676187388907082007-01-23T16:44:00.000+00:002007-01-23T16:44:00.000+00:00Very true indeed...
OK, we are getting somewhere....Very true indeed...<br /><br />OK, we are getting somewhere. Let me try a draft statement:<br /><br /><b><i>We request that the first step of early intervention is the collection of data from academic and other related staff in individual universities.<br /><br />The data collection has to happen either through an independent body and external to the university, or by collective and equal involvement of union rep, staff member and one person from HR.<br /><br />Staff are allowed to participate anonymously if they wish to do so.<br /><br />The results should be made public and also forwarded to HEFCE, UCU and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).</b></i><br /><br />Can you suggest some improvements to this?Pierre-Joseph Proudhonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04513749066985128661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28080901.post-12169689272469052102007-01-23T15:41:00.000+00:002007-01-23T15:41:00.000+00:00The request for statistics is easy, and this respo...The request for statistics is easy, and this response is probably typical:<br /><br /><i>I am not in a position to furnish you with the details you requested as this information is for internal reporting purposes only.<br />XXX, Equality and Welfare Officer, Department of Human Resources.</i><br /><br />The obligation of management to provide such data is probably the best early intervention there could be, because management would recognise inappropriate conduct before it became a statistic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28080901.post-60794043052194060492007-01-23T14:10:00.000+00:002007-01-23T14:10:00.000+00:00Records on bullying statistics are not compulsory....Records on bullying statistics are not compulsory. There is no external and independent body to request them, to make bad employers accountable for the actions or inactions.<br /><br />Wherever there is a reference to the issue of keeping data, it is referred to as 'good practice'. You find quotes in HEFCE documents, in union booklets etc, etc.<br /><br />But one thing you will not find is exact, objective and honest figures on how many academics are bullied, over what period of time, etc, etc in a particular university. <br /><br />It would be too easy to post them an FOI request. The reply is likely to be 'sorry, but we are not obligated to keep such figures'.<br /><br />Now let us talk about early intervention and pigs fly... especially when the report identifies that a lot depends upon senior managers!<br /><br />We need compulsion, we need monitoring, we need policing, and we need penalties.Pierre-Joseph Proudhonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04513749066985128661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28080901.post-68451255874623387882007-01-23T12:35:00.000+00:002007-01-23T12:35:00.000+00:00I know recollections often have a rosy tint, but t...I know recollections often have a rosy tint, but the compulsory collection of ethnicity data seemed to me to have the most awesome effect on recruitment, interview and employment practices in the 1970's. I remember some absolute stinkers of bad publicity (Ford and Wall's Icecream) forcing industry to suddenly realise that they had to adopt and comply with fair policies.<br /><br />Bullying statistics. Seems so simple.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com