tag:theconversation.com,2011:/uk/topics/bullying-595/articlesBullying – The Conversation2024-02-26T20:01:36Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2238242024-02-26T20:01:36Z2024-02-26T20:01:36ZPink Shirt Day must become a call to meaningful action against bullying<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577459/original/file-20240222-20-4iqxbx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C44%2C5000%2C3270&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The calls to action haven’t resulted in much change. We need to do better. The stakes are enormous.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As the last few days of February draw near, we will soon be called to think about bullying on <a href="https://www.pinkshirtday.ca/">Pink Shirt Day</a> on the last Wednesday of the month. Pink Shirt Day was started by Grade 12 Nova Scotia students David Shepherd and Travis Price who wanted to show their solidarity for a victim of bullying who was targeted, in part, for wearing a pink shirt.</p>
<p>This initial show of solidarity has been a recognized day of action in Canada since 2007, and was adopted in New Zealand in 2009.</p>
<p>This means that we’ve had over 15 Pink Shirt Days. What have they done beyond raising awareness? Sadly, the answer is not much. Research shows that <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/science-research-data/youth-findings-health-behaviour-school-aged-children-study.html#ch10">the number of youth who report being a victim of bullying hasn’t changed at all</a>. The calls to action haven’t resulted in much change. We need to do better. The stakes are enormous.</p>
<h2>Impacts of bullying</h2>
<p>First the bad news: Bullying is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05083-1">notoriously difficult to prevent or reduce</a>. Bullying is too often viewed as a rite of passage — the ability to overcome harassment and bad peer interactions. And it’s true that <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/016502598384388">some stress is helpful in forging stronger social and emotional skills</a>. </p>
<p>The same thing is true for bones that benefit from stressful exercise. But too much stress causes a bone to break, leaving behind a permanent weakness. The same is true for too much social and emotional stress. </p>
<p>Children are suffering decades-long negative <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1323641111">physical</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22270">mental health</a> outcomes because of stress caused by bullying. It changes the way the body reads its own <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2017.08.025">DNA in response</a> to stress <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291715000653">well into one’s 50s</a>. </p>
<p>These effects are actually worse for children in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579423001384">classes that otherwise have low levels of bullying</a>. Those lone victims heartbreakingly feel even more isolated and to blame for their sole victimization. And for some, it can tragically result in <a href="https://www.amandatoddlegacy.org/">taking their own lives</a>. </p>
<h2>Why people bully</h2>
<p>Bullying, appears to be, at least in part, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-022-09703-3">an evolutionary adaptation</a> that can offer its users important benefits. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21418">First up</a> are material benefits like the best spot on the playground, lunch money or a coveted scholarship. Even more appealing are the strong, consistent, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-013-9759-3">longitudinal</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025416679743">cross-cultural ties</a> between bullying and popularity. Bullying leads to gains in popularity and, sadly, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2020.1850462https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2020.1850462">popularity tends to lead to bullying</a>. </p>
<p>Perhaps most salient of all, for both boys and girls, and both younger and older adolescents, bullying is associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1474704915613909">increased dating and sexual opportunities</a>. Material benefits, popularity and sex are difficult motives to fight against. It gets even harder when we recognize that bullies are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-022-09703-3">not socially unintelligent, they do not have lower self-esteem and they may not even lack emotional empathy</a>. </p>
<p>They are often simply <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00182-4">individuals who willingly choose to use power for their own benefit and to the detriment of others</a>. And unfortunately, they get plenty of examples from adults about how bullying can <a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/vladimir-putin-is-a-classic-schoolyard-bully-who-must-be-stopped-not-appeased/article_4a333027-003d-5b2e-b070-199dbbc9ce06.html">get you what you want with few consequences</a> so long as you’re powerful, rich or famous.</p>
<p>So if bullying is really so awful why has Pink Shirt Day not led to meaningful change?</p>
<h2>Tackling bullying</h2>
<p>Bullying is a facultative adaptation — that means it depends on the costs and benefits an environment affords. So even if it has a biological basis, its expression depends on the environmental context. And we know that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-009-5413-9">different cultures</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-014-9949-7">different classrooms</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2021.1926231">different peers</a> can all change the equation of bullying so that its costs start to outweigh its benefits. </p>
<p>Critically, while data indicates bullies gain popularity and dominance, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2023.101073">the same data shows that they lose out on being liked</a> and on being sought out as a friend. People respect and fear a bully’s ability to violently wield power, but they don’t like it. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/082957359801300205">While bullying is hard to catch and harder to punish</a>, we can look at changing the carrot instead of the stick. If <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025411407457">peers stop rewarding bullies</a>, and if adults create environments that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12243">foster prosocial co-operation rather than selfish competition</a>, we can make bullying less appealing.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/bullying-wont-be-curbed-until-we-figure-out-what-fuels-it-128031">Bullying won't be curbed until we figure out what fuels it</a>
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<p>Doing so is hard. It requires real work from youth, teachers, schools, parents, governments and the general public. We can’t expect youth to stop rewarding bullying if we continue to reward bullies as adults. We can’t expect youth to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2013.10.004">stand up to the most popular kids on their own</a>. </p>
<p>We need to find the right ways to encourage the positive uses of power. Bullying may be an evolutionary adaptation, but it’s not genetically determined, so we should not accept it as an inevitable rite of passage. </p>
<p>This Pink Shirt Day, do more than just think about bullying. Think about how you can get involved and make a positive difference. Talk to your children, talk to their schools, talk to teachers that you know, stand up to bullies in your workplace. Pink Shirt Day started as a gesture of solidarity, as a means of taking back some of the power from bullies. </p>
<p>If we can view Pink Shirt Day as a call to action, instead of just another reminder, we can start changing things so that bullying becomes associated with another evolutionary term — extinction.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223824/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tony Volk does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Canada has marked Pink Shirt Day since 2007, but meaningful progress in tackling bullying requires solidarity from youth, teachers, schools, parents, governments and the general public.Tony Volk, Professor, Child and Youth Studies, Brock UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2220852024-02-21T21:23:29Z2024-02-21T21:23:29ZSporting change: How an elite swim club in Western Canada is addressing bullying<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576048/original/file-20240215-28-469ztc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C17%2C3970%2C2640&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Since sport participation has been linked to numerous benefits, it’s essential to foster an environment that allows individuals to engage in it free from bullying.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>While most of the news coverage about <a href="https://athletescan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/prevalence_of_maltreatment_reporteng.pdf">maltreatment in sport</a> is focused on sexual abuse, a lesser-discussed, but <a href="https://sirc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Safe-Sport-Lit-Review.pdf">still prevalent and damaging aspect, is bullying</a>.</p>
<p>Bullying is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102205">one of the leading causes of sport dropout</a>. Bullying can have <a href="https://www.stopbullying.gov">profound and long-term effects on individuals</a>, resulting in depression, health issues, behaviour challenges, low self-esteem and burnout, among others.</p>
<p>Since sport participation has been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00913847.2020.1850152">linked to numerous benefits</a>, including lower levels of drug use, depression and anxiety, it’s essential to foster an environment that allows individuals to engage in it free from bullying.</p>
<p>The prevalence of bullying in sports poses a threat to sport participation, demanding a proactive approach to the issue. But <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jan/27/abuse-canada-sport-inquiry-hockey-gymnastics-soccer">what should sport communities be doing to address bullying?</a></p>
<h2>Dare to Care in Sport</h2>
<p>In an effort to create a team culture that combats bullying, <a href="https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/anti-bullying-program-sparks-positive-change-within-university-of-calgary-swim-club">the University of Calgary Swim Club implemented a pilot program in September 2017</a> that adapted the <a href="https://www.daretocare.ca/sports">Dare to Care program</a> to focus on sport.</p>
<p>The program required all members of the club — administration, athletes, parents, guardians and coaches — to participate in a bullying prevention workshop.</p>
<p>Over seven months, more than 1,000 club members took part in 1.5 to two-hour workshops designed and delivered by a national expert in bullying prevention and a former Team Canada swimmer. The workshops were offered at numerous times and locations for convenience. </p>
<p>The goals for implementing the Dare to Care workshops included educating and training team members on how to address and prevent bullying, reducing bullying behaviour, equipping the organization with skills to handle any bullying-related issues, and ensuring 90 per cent of members completed the training. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A person in a t-shirt that says 'Coach' across the back faces toward a swimming pool and away from the camera" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576032/original/file-20240215-22-eefdfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576032/original/file-20240215-22-eefdfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576032/original/file-20240215-22-eefdfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576032/original/file-20240215-22-eefdfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576032/original/file-20240215-22-eefdfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576032/original/file-20240215-22-eefdfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576032/original/file-20240215-22-eefdfg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It’s important that all members of sport organizations are equipped with the proper definition of bullying and have tools to deal with it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>The content for each workshop was interactive, age-appropriate and designed to equip participants with the tools and confidence to address bullying behaviour. </p>
<p>At the end of the seven months, members were invited to participate in my ongoing study investigating the impact of the Dare to Care program. I presented this research at the <a href="https://worldantibullyingforum.com/uploads/sites/2/2021/02/WABF-2019-Abstract_Book.pdf">World Anti-Bullying Forum in Ireland 2019</a>.</p>
<p>Since conducting this research, I have begun training and working for Dare to Care to deliver their anti-bullying workshops to sport organizations and clubs.</p>
<p>Participants were asked to complete a survey about bullying in the club and their opinions of the Dare to Care in Sport program. Some were also invited to participate in an interview for more in-depth information on bullying and the impact of the Dare to Care program.</p>
<h2>Program feedback</h2>
<p>In the surveys and interviews, club members said they believed bullying was present in sport, even if they personally had not seen it. </p>
<p>Participants believed there were a few reasons for the presence of bullying in sport. The first reason given was jealousy. One parent interviewee said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Someone is good and someone wants to be better, and rather than do the work to be better, the bullying could be a shortcut; it is just sheer jealousy. Even if it doesn’t get you there by taking the other person down, it might make you feel better because you are making them feel worse, right?” </p>
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<p>The second reason identified was competition. Another parent interviewee said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Part of it has to do with the winning at all costs or a ‘whatever it takes’ mentality. The pressure can be immense and some use whatever advantage is available, including bullying and harassment.”</p>
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<p>The third and final reason suggested was parental involvement. One parent interviewee said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I can see the pressure from a parent affect the athlete, and how they treat people impacts their success in their sport.”</p>
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<p>Club members also felt that educational programs to address bullying were very beneficial. The Dare to Care in Sport program was praised for being mandatory and inclusive of all members. One interviewee said: “It was just super clear to know that the swimmers were on the same page, the coaches were on the same page.” </p>
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<img alt="A young woman and a young man in swimsuits high five while standing in an indoor pool" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576045/original/file-20240215-16-h8oh65.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/576045/original/file-20240215-16-h8oh65.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576045/original/file-20240215-16-h8oh65.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576045/original/file-20240215-16-h8oh65.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576045/original/file-20240215-16-h8oh65.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576045/original/file-20240215-16-h8oh65.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/576045/original/file-20240215-16-h8oh65.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Encouraging participation in sport should go hand-in-hand with a commitment to fostering a culture of respect, inclusivity and fairness.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Key takeaways from the program included a common definition of bullying and identification of acceptable behaviours, consequences for bullying, tools and strategies for addressing bullying as it occurs and appropriate and safe reporting mechanisms for bullying incidents and behaviours. </p>
<h2>Making sport safer</h2>
<p>The benefits of sport participation at any level are tremendous. It’s important that all members of sport organizations are equipped with the proper definition of bullying and have tools to deal with it. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.013.169">Many harmful behaviours in sport have been normalized over the years</a> as “just part of the game” or “building character.” Programs such as Dare to Care in Sport are taking a stand against these behaviours and making sport a more safe, inclusive and respectful environment for <em>all</em> participants. </p>
<p>Encouraging participation in sport should go hand-in-hand with a commitment to fostering a culture of respect, inclusivity and fairness. An additional resource leaders can use to accomplish this is the <a href="https://anchor.fm/sporting-change"><em>Sporting Change</em> podcast</a>, which focuses on many of these aspects.</p>
<p>It is critical to <a href="https://sirc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Safe-Sport-Lit-Review.pdf">continue to educate and ensure a safe sport experience</a> is created for all. Providing a comprehensive bully prevention education is one step forward to improving the culture of sport.</p>
<p><em>The author would like to acknowledge the contributions from the Dare to Care Team (Lisa Dixon-Wells, Mathieu Constantin and Raine Paul) to this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222085/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julie Booke works for Dare to Care. After completing the research explained in this article, she began training as a facilitator to deliver the Dare to Care in Sport workshops. </span></em></p>The prevalence of bullying in sports poses a threat to sport participation, demanding a proactive approach to address the issue.Julie Booke, Associate Professor in Health and Physical Education/Sport and Recreation Management, Mount Royal UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2207672024-02-07T13:13:44Z2024-02-07T13:13:44ZAbout a third of employees have faced bullying at work – here’s how to recognize and deal with it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573464/original/file-20240205-19-di6nqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=98%2C44%2C5541%2C3925&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Bullying at work often includes a power imbalance.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/boss-unsatisfied-from-his-employee-royalty-free-image/1257003156?adppopup=true">Vladimir Vladimirov/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The phenomenon of bullying, harassment and sexual abuse in workplaces throughout North America is widespread and harmful to both individuals and organizations. In fact, bullying at work <a href="https://canadasafetycouncil.org/working-bully/">affects up to 30% of workers</a> <a href="https://workplacebullying.org/2021-wbi-survey/">over time</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=XfvKveEAAAAJ">As practitioners</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=E_FnvlkAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra">and researchers</a> who study workplace violence, including bullying, harassment and sexual abuse, we define workplace bullying as <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/ca/workplace-bullying-and-mobbing-in-the-united-states-2-volumes-9781440850233/">harmful acts of mistreatment between people</a> that go beyond incivility and cross the line to intentionally causing harm.</p>
<p>Bullying behaviors range from verbally insulting or socially excluding someone to sabotaging the victim’s work, inflicting psychological terror and engaging in sexual abuse or physical aggression. Manipulation and provocation also play a role in bullying dynamics, and cyberbullying has emerged as a new form of workplace harassment. Research suggests the impacts of workplace bullying <a href="https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v15i4.1733">affect employee health and safety</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1539/joh.17-0111-OP">and the workplace overall</a>.</p>
<p>In a grocery store line, if someone invades your space, shoves you aside or threatens physical harm, the police may intervene, potentially resulting in an arrest. However, in the workplace, incidents involving bullying, assault, sexual abuse or other forms of violence are typically addressed through internal investigations. Our research suggests that treating workplace bullying as a matter of <a href="https://theconversation.com/workplace-bullying-should-be-treated-as-a-public-health-issue-190330">public health rather than employment law</a> is necessary to protect those being targeted.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573467/original/file-20240205-29-9sbcqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="man in reflective vest sits on pallet with boxes with his head leaning on his hand" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573467/original/file-20240205-29-9sbcqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573467/original/file-20240205-29-9sbcqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573467/original/file-20240205-29-9sbcqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573467/original/file-20240205-29-9sbcqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573467/original/file-20240205-29-9sbcqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573467/original/file-20240205-29-9sbcqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573467/original/file-20240205-29-9sbcqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Targeted workers can experience mental and physical health problems.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/depressed-worker-feel-tried-after-overwork-and-royalty-free-image/1352460014">warodom changyencham/Moment via Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>Workplace bullying results in real harms</h2>
<p>Targets of workplace bullying often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0935-9_8">experience serious repercussions</a>, including stress and burnout, along with other <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2022.2164536">diagnosed mental health issues</a> and, in extreme cases, suicide.</p>
<p>Bullying can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0935-9_6">affect physical health</a>, with symptoms including sleep disturbances, cardiovascular diseases, body aches and pain, loss of appetite and headaches. Targets often describe an <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15051035">inability to concentrate</a>; since they’re spending time worrying about what is going to happen to them next, job performance suffers. The negative impacts can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0935-9_8">spill over to a target’s personal life</a> and affect their relationships with family and friends.</p>
<p>It’s not unusual for targeted workers to feel uncomfortable coming forward and talking about their experiences. But suffering in silence can lead to an even more <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/5/2294">toxic climate</a> at work that can undermine your victims’ sense of security, with long-term consequences for their well-being.</p>
<h2>Personality traits of bullies and their targets</h2>
<p>Workplace bullies often target those who possess <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/beyond-cultural-competence/202306/workplace-bullies-target-self-directed-coworkers-most">qualities highly valued by employers</a>: self-sufficiency, cautiousness and innovativeness. Those targeted typically are motivated, have a kind perspective and prefer to avoid getting involved in office politics or engaging in competitive behavior. They take charge of their work and responsibilities.</p>
<p>Bullying often involves an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-10-2019-0125">imbalance of power</a>, where the perpetrator acts to obtain power and control over the target.</p>
<p>Researchers find that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/careers/2017/mar/28/the-psychology-of-a-workplace-bully">bullies tend to have</a> low self-esteem, problems with anger management and even personality disorders. Bullies often target people based on their appearance, behavior, race, religion, educational background, LGBTQ+ identity or because of perceived threats to their own career. </p>
<p>There’s no hard-and-fast profile, but males tend to exhibit more of the traits associated with bullying. Those who possess tendencies toward what psychologists call <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/basics/dark-triad">dark triad traits</a> – <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/Machiavellianism">Machiavellianism</a>, subclinical <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/psychopathy">psychopathy</a> and subclinical <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-little-bit-of-narcissism-is-normal-and-healthy-heres-how-to-tell-when-it-becomes-pathological-199069">narcissism</a> – <a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-what-to-do-when-you-encounter-people-with-dark-personality-traits-at-work-192316">often gravitate toward jobs</a> that offer high levels of freedom and hierarchical structures.</p>
<h2>Are you being bullied?</h2>
<p>Have you noticed a <a href="https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/chapter/305680">decline in your emotional or physical health</a>? Is your job performance being affected? Feeling constantly stressed, anxious or demoralized are signs that something isn’t right.</p>
<p>Think about whether you feel singled out. Do you sense that you’re being isolated because of how others treat you?</p>
<p>If you do conclude you’re being bullied, your <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-wealth/202211/how-to-stop-workplace-bullying">first priority is keeping yourself safe</a>. Defending yourself against workplace bullying takes courage, but there are steps you can take to diffuse, distance and document what is happening to you.</p>
<p>In the moment when bullying is occurring, focus on trying to keep your emotions in check and avoid being reactive. For example, try to <a href="https://positivepsychology.com/psychological-distancing/">gain some psychological distance</a> in an emotionally charged situation – politely walk away, don’t engage, give yourself time to settle your emotions. Taking space by stepping away can disrupt the immediate intensity of the situation. It helps you stay in control rather than allowing a bully to force you to respond impulsively in the moment, which can lead you to say or do something you’ll regret.</p>
<p>Try your best to de-escalate the situation. Some tips for how to stop an interaction from spiraling include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Using polite, firm language to ask the bully to stop the conversation.</li>
<li>Asking the bully to leave.</li>
<li>Removing yourself from the situation if the bully won’t go.</li>
<li>Informing your supervisor immediately.</li>
</ul>
<p>If you feel threatened, calmly and politely stop the interaction by <a href="https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/violence/violence_negative.html">removing yourself in a nonthreatening way</a>. As challenging as it can be, the key here is to stay composed and remain respectful.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573468/original/file-20240205-29-9nmg1v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="worker in foreground aware of two in background of warehouse scene, watching" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573468/original/file-20240205-29-9nmg1v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573468/original/file-20240205-29-9nmg1v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573468/original/file-20240205-29-9nmg1v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573468/original/file-20240205-29-9nmg1v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573468/original/file-20240205-29-9nmg1v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573468/original/file-20240205-29-9nmg1v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573468/original/file-20240205-29-9nmg1v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">You can prepare yourself by thinking ahead about how to respond.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/an-industrial-warehouse-worker-being-the-target-of-royalty-free-image/1028928790">Fertnig/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How to respond to an ongoing situation</h2>
<p>It may be helpful to engage in some advanced planning with a friend or colleague. Rehearse a bullying situation and practice how you would respond to help you get comfortable <a href="https://doi.org/10.14309/ajg.0000000000002090">using emotional distancing and de-escalation</a>. Advance practice can help you handle an emotionally charged encounter.</p>
<p>Seek the support and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-wealth/202211/how-to-stop-workplace-bullying">safety of your peers</a>. They can talk things through with you and become your allies if they are asked to describe or even testify about a bullying incident they witnessed.</p>
<p>Strive for an attitude of strength and confidence in yourself. Workplace bullies often choose to attack people they peg as easy targets. Present a strong front, trust in yourself and have confidence in your work – these attributes may make you less <a href="https://dailynurse.com/nurses-and-bullying-how-to-protect-yourself-and-your-co-workers/">likely to be targeted</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://healthyworkforceinstitute.com/5-strategies-to-protect-yourself-from-retaliation-when-you-confront-a-bully/">Document your experiences</a> when you perceive there is a problem. Be objective: Note the time and date, what happened, who was present, what was said and how it made you feel. Keeping a record helps quantify what is happening. Your organization should have <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9780429462528-19/managing-workplace-bullying-charlotte-rayner-duncan-lewis">policies and procedures</a> to support you if you believe you are being bullied at work. </p>
<p>A caveat, though: Keep in mind, human resources departments are often ill-equipped to manage these issues, and complaints may be <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/soc11040143">mishandled</a>, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Bullying-and-Harassment-in-the-Workplace-Theory-Research-and-Practice/Einarsen-Hoel-Zapf-Cooper/p/book/9781138615991">improperly dismissed</a> or simply ignored. Sometimes, if you’re able, it is better to look for a new job.</p>
<p>In order to effectively tackle the problem of workplace bullying and harassment, it is important for both employees and organizations to acknowledge and actively address these concerns. By establishing policies against bullying and fostering open lines of communication, workplaces can create safer spaces that enhance the well-being and productivity of their employees.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220767/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>You’d call the police if a stranger in public did what many bullies at work get away with. 2 researchers who study workplace violence describe the widespread phenomenon.Jason Walker, Program Director & Associate Professor of Industrial-Organizational and Applied Psychology, Adler UniversityDeborah Circo, Assistant Professor of Social Work, University of Nebraska OmahaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2222552024-02-01T19:05:00Z2024-02-01T19:05:00Z5 questions your child’s school should be able to answer about bullying<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572379/original/file-20240131-25-b7ipz8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C16%2C5609%2C3748&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/boy-sitting-on-concrete-stairs-FLdK5N-YGf4">Gaelle Marcel/ Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As children return to classrooms for 2024, school communities will be confronting bullying in person and via technology. </p>
<p>In-person bullying and cyberbullying affect <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/australias-children/contents/justice-and-safety/bullying">significant numbers</a> of children and young people in Australia and <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/eclinm/PIIS2589-5370(20)30020-1.pdf">around the world</a>.</p>
<p>The eSafety Commission <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/40-jump-in-child-bullying-reports-to-esafety">recently revealed</a> a 40% jump in cyberbullying reports. In 2023, it received 2,383 reports of cyberbullying compared with 1,700 in 2022. Two-thirds (67%) of reports concerned children aged 12–15 years.</p>
<p>A 2019 <a href="https://headspace.org.au/our-organisation/media-releases/new-data-finds-more-than-half-of-aussie-kids-experience-cyberbullying/">headspace survey</a> found 53% of young Australians aged 12–25 have experienced cyberbullying.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/australias-children/contents/justice-safety/bullying">2016 survey</a> of 12- and 13-year-olds found seven in ten children had experienced at least one bullying-like behaviour within the past year.</p>
<p>Schools have a responsibility to provide a safe learning environment. As part of our <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s42380-023-00179-5.pdf">work on bullying</a>, we have identified five key ways schools can prevent and respond to bullying. </p>
<h2>What is bullying?</h2>
<p>In-person bullying is unwanted, negative and aggressive behaviour. It is done on purpose and done repeatedly, and can cause physical, emotional or social harm. </p>
<p>As the eSafety Commission <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/cyberbullying">explains</a>, cyberbullying occurs </p>
<blockquote>
<p>when someone uses the internet to be mean to a child or young person so they feel bad or upset. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>It can happen on a social media site, game or app. It can include comments, messages, images, videos and emails. </p>
<p>There is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33066202/">a lot of overlap</a> between the two types of bullying. Those who bully or are bullied in person also tend to bully or be bullied online, and vice versa. </p>
<p>In any kind of bullying, the person doing the bullying has – or is perceived to have – more power than the person being bullied. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-new-study-provides-a-potential-breakthrough-on-school-bullying-195716">Our new study provides a potential breakthrough on school bullying</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What do schools need to do?</h2>
<p>As the Australian Human Rights Commission <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/commission-general/bullying-know-your-rights-violence-harassment-and-bullying-fact-sheet">notes</a>, bullying is an abuse of individuals’ human rights. It says schools have a responsibility to provide a safe learning environment free from violence, harassment and bullying. This protects the right to education. </p>
<p>Approaches vary between jurisdictions and school systems. In <a href="https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/bullying-prevention-response/policy">Victoria</a>, for example, government schools need to have bullying prevention policies. In New South Wales, government schools need to have an “<a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/policy-library/public/implementation-documents/pd-2010-0415-01.pdf">anti-bullying plan</a>”. </p>
<p>But while schools often have bullying policies, they need comprehensive systems to be adequately prepared. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-kids-bully-and-what-can-parents-do-about-it-194812">Why do kids bully? And what can parents do about it?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>Our work has <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s42380-023-00179-5.pdf">examined</a> what schools should do to be prepared to prevent and respond to bullying. As part of this, we spoke to five principals and teachers at five Victorian schools in 2022. </p>
<p>This highlighted the ongoing and complex nature of the challenges schools face. For example, they told us how COVID set back responses to cyberbullying. As one high school principal told us: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We had a lot of online bullying going on […] a lot of nasty stuff happening online, a lot of sexting and a lot of horrible comments […] We nearly got it wiped out and then COVID hit and we then went back to having kids on computers all day, every day, so I think that’s back in a big way.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Technological change also means new challenges keep emerging. As a primary school teacher said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>[students are now] getting Apple Watches and so we’re having to rewrite policy to deal with that.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>What should schools do to be prepared?</h2>
<p>We have also reviewed Australian and international evidence on bullying. Here we distil this work into five key questions to ask your child’s school. </p>
<p><strong>1. Do they have good data?</strong> The school should regularly collect, review and act on data about social relationships in the school community. These should include levels of trust, support, empathy and kindness between students and between students and teachers/staff. This tells the school whether students feel safe and supported to raise social problems if they arise. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Five students sit on steps with backpacks, writing in books and working on a laptop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572382/original/file-20240131-17-sy3666.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ask students what they think how to stop bullying in their school. And whether they trust their peers and teachers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/students-sitting-on-steps-in-a-school-hallway-and-writing-in-notebooks-8457288/">Norma Mortenson/Pixels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>2. Do they seek students’ ideas?</strong> The school should ask students how the school can better prevent and respond to bullying. It should also consider and act on these suggestions. Actively involving children and young people in issues that concern them is a basic human right. It also results in policies and practices that are more likely to be appropriate for them.</p>
<p><strong>3. Do people know about “gateway behaviours”?</strong> All school staff and students should be trained to identify and immediately report “gateway behaviours”. Examples include posting embarrassing photos online, ignoring particular students, name-calling, whispering about people in front of them, and eye-rolling. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Elizabeth-Englander-2/publication/311654874_Understanding_Bullying_Behavior_What_Educators_Should_Know_and_Can_Do/links/5b87f13d92851c1e123bf9fb/Understanding-Bullying-Behavior-What-Educators-Should-Know-and-Can-Do.pdf">Gateway behaviours</a> are not in and of themselves considered bullying, but when left unchecked, can escalate into bullying. </p>
<p><strong>4. Do students think bullying is being reported?</strong> The school should also ask students whether they believe students and staff report all or almost all bullying they observe. It is also important to know whether students think reporting will remain anonymous and be acted on and positively resolved. This indicates whether students believe the school takes bullying seriously and feel empowered to come forward if they need to.</p>
<p><strong>5. Does the school have “safety and comfort plans”?</strong> These are created for specific students immediately after they are identified as having been a victim of bullying. They should be designed by the student and a staff member together. This is to ensure they feel comforted and safe at school. </p>
<p>We know bullying can have devastating <a href="https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/bullying/conditioninfo/health#:%7E:text=It%20can%20lead%20to%20physical,emotional%20problems%2C%20and%20even%20death.&text=Those%20who%20are%20bullied%20are,and%20problems%20adjusting%20to%20school.&text=Bullying%20also%20can%20cause%20long%2Dterm%20damage%20to%20self%2Desteem.">physical and psychological impacts</a> on children. It can lead to issues including <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-homeschooling-numbers-keep-rising-in-australia-is-more-regulation-a-good-idea-217802">school refusal</a>, poor self-esteem and poor mental health. This is why it is so important schools are properly equipped to not just handle incidents of bullying when they arise, but try and prevent them in the first place. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au">Lifeline</a> on 13 11 14, <a href="https://kidshelpline.com.au">Kids Helpline</a> on 1800 55 1800 or contact <a href="https://headspace.org.au/online-and-phone-support/connect-with-us/">headspace</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222255/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nina Van Dyke was funded by the Alannah & Madeline Foundation to conduct this research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fiona MacDonald was funded by the Alannah & Madeline Foundation to conduct this research. </span></em></p>Bullying is not going away. The eSafety Commission recently revealed a 40% jump in cyberbullying reports.Nina Van Dyke, Principal Research Fellow and Associate Director, Mitchell Institute, Victoria UniversityFiona MacDonald, Principal Research Fellow, Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2212062024-01-22T19:03:56Z2024-01-22T19:03:56Z‘That filter you use looks just like me’: what the new Mean Girls film gets right about social media<p>The opening shot of the new Mean Girls provides a literal reframing of the 2004 cult classic. </p>
<p>Recording vertical video through a phone, Janis (Auli'i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey) introduce the “cautionary tale” of Cady (Angourie Rice) and her move from being home-schooled in Africa to a North American high school, negotiating “Girlworld” politics and “the plastics” clique to find her true self.</p>
<p>This introduction signifies key changes. Firstly, this is a musical, narrated through the lens of these “art freaks” and puckish best friends. Secondly, much has changed over the past 20 years. In this remake, the style, values and fashion are those of Gen Z – and social media is omnipresent in the teens’ lives.</p>
<p>Mean girls today have a whole new way to be mean.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fFtdbEgnUOk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>Shifting landscapes</h2>
<p>In 2004, Facebook was limited to Ivy League students. Smartphones were years away. The millennial Mean Girls blocked caller ID to make prank calls “from Planned Parenthood” and used “three-way calling attacks” to create conversational ambushes on landlines. </p>
<p>Most significant was their Burn Book, where they wrote nasty comments about every girl in their year. Regina (Rachel McAdams) used this book to achieve retribution when Cady (Lindsay Lohan) became clique leader. Regina glued her own picture in the book alongside a nasty comment, framed the other plastics, and distributed photocopies to cause a school-wide riot. </p>
<p>Then, bullying was verbal, physical or social. Connectivity was limited and expensive, meaning bullying usually took place in the schoolyard, mall and other physical spaces teens occupied. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oDU84nmSDZY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>The Gen Z Mean Girls exist in an accelerated surveillance culture. School trends go viral, mistakes are meme-ified, and every moment is recorded. Regina (Renee Rapp) is at the centre of this attention economy, crooning that she is a “massive deal” and “the filter you use looks just like me”. </p>
<p>When Cady is invited to join the plastics, her classmates dissect her rise in popularity – and Regina’s downfall – on social media. Research shows using image-based social media, such as TikTok and Instagram, leads to worse <a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/teens-and-mental-health-how-girls-really-feel-about-social-media">mental health outcomes</a>.</p>
<p>The Burn Book still exists in the 2024 film. However, this physical device now seems quaint. Today, the internet gives everyone connected voice and power to be a mean girl. Peers hide behind the screen committing what Ms Norbury (Tina Fey, reprising her role from the original film) calls “girl-on-girl crime”. </p>
<p>Classmates conduct social polling on who is “hotter” between Regina and Cady. They discuss Regina’s weight gain publicly online. When the Burn Book is found, its contents are shared via social media, leading to chaos.</p>
<p>Social media has become a major platform for bullying, which can now occur online 24/7. Adolescents have matured in online spaces, leading to <a href="https://theconversation.com/mounting-research-documents-the-harmful-effects-of-social-media-use-on-mental-health-including-body-image-and-development-of-eating-disorders-206170">worsening mental health</a>. Parents are struggling too. Due to technological changes, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/07/28/parenting-children-in-the-age-of-screens/">66% of parents in the United States say parenting is harder now</a> than it was 20 years ago.</p>
<p>Social media bullying <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-help-teen-girls-mental-health-struggles-6-research-based-strategies-for-parents-teachers-and-friends-200052">disproportionately affects girls</a>. The 2024 film shows how this system fails even those at the top – Regina is just as bullied as the girls she picks on. “Influencers” must maintain a carefully curated image and one mistake can go viral online. Judgement is quick, savage and public. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-help-teen-girls-mental-health-struggles-6-research-based-strategies-for-parents-teachers-and-friends-200052">How to help teen girls’ mental health struggles – 6 research-based strategies for parents, teachers and friends</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How to confront bullying in 2024</h2>
<p>When Cady is struggling, she turns to her mum (Jenna Fischer), who honestly acknowledges the challenges, saying “you’re learning things now that I don’t know how to teach”. </p>
<p>Rapid technological change means families are often learning new tools together. It is crucial adolescents are not left to navigate this alone. </p>
<p>Whichever generation we identify with, there are strategies we can use to protect our mental health around social media: </p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/amyblaschka/2020/09/21/this-is-why-you-need-to-turn-off-social-media-notifications/">turn off notifications</a> so you choose when to use the device. Set a time limit for usage each day and stick to it </p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-parents-and-teens-can-reduce-the-impact-of-social-media-on-youth-well-being-87619">focus on wellbeing</a>. Keep devices out of bedrooms. Ensure breaks are taken from screens. Time spent offline in nature is particularly restorative </p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/social-media-literacy-teens">discuss</a> what is seen online. Be aware of the constructed nature of social content, including filters and image editing. Highlights reels should not be compared to our daily lives </p></li>
<li><p>reflect on privacy and <a href="https://theconversation.com/even-if-tiktok-and-other-apps-are-collecting-your-data-what-are-the-actual-consequences-187277">what you want to share with the world</a>. Even images or text shared in a private channel can be screenshotted or downloaded. Legislation is slow to catch up with technology. For example, teens sharing nude photos with peers <a href="https://www.criminalsolicitorsmelbourne.com.au/blog/sexting-laws">can be charged</a> with child pornography distribution in many jurisdictions </p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://childmind.org/article/social-media-and-self-doubt/">take feelings seriously</a>. Disconnect as a first strategy, and uninstall platforms that have a negative impact. Gain support from real world friends and family.</p></li>
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<p>Mean Girls shows the dangers of popularity and models ways to maintain agency and self-worth. Recognising her own problematic behaviour, Cady reconstructs her identity with support from friends, gaining recognition for her intellectual ability as a mathlete. </p>
<p>Janis provides <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rboDM2J_Ubs">a more radical response</a>, rejecting socialisation that rewards artificial niceties and breeds duplicity in girls, a system wherein “boys get to fight, we have to share”.</p>
<p>Janis offers another way to deal with online and offline bullies and retain self-worth, encouraging peers to “solemnly swear ‘whatever they say about me I don’t care!’”. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-parents-and-teens-can-reduce-the-impact-of-social-media-on-youth-well-being-87619">How parents and teens can reduce the impact of social media on youth well-being</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221206/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer Stokes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Burn Book still exists in 2024 but the physical device now seems quaint. Today, the internet gives everyone the power to be a mean girl.Jennifer Stokes, Senior Lecturer in Digital and Information Literacy (Education Futures), University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2207992024-01-19T13:03:14Z2024-01-19T13:03:14ZEmotional problems in young people were rising rapidly even before the pandemic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569863/original/file-20240117-27-ejuhzp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=53%2C0%2C6000%2C3943&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Adolescence is an age when people are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/depression-anxiety-concept-woman-fetal-position-773688718">Thomas Andre Fure/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It wasn’t just the virus that spread during the pandemic – anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns saw a worrying rise as well. But <a href="https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcpp.13924">new research</a> from my colleagues and I confirms there had already been a substantial increase in emotional problems among young people even before COVID-19. </p>
<p>Adolescence is an age when people are particularly <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)31013-X/fulltext">vulnerable</a> to mental health problems, which may then continue <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-023-02202-z">into adulthood</a>. Studies have highlighted concerning trends showing a <a href="https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(21)00646-7/fulltext">steep rise</a> in mental health issues in recent decades. </p>
<p>However, the reasons most frequently given for this rise, such as changes in family life, school factors and social media, do not fully explain all <a href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-981-10-0753-8_9-1">the issues</a>. </p>
<p>We wanted to know if rates of emotional problems had increased in young people in Wales between 2013 and 2019 – and if any trends varied between groups of young people, such as boys and girls or richer or poorer families. We also wanted to determine whether changes in friendship quality and the prevalence of bullying over time mirrored any increase in adolescent emotional problems, and whether these factors could explain a part of this rise.</p>
<p>Good quality friendships are associated with <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0153715">better</a> self-esteem and mental health, whereas bullying is linked with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30475016/">poorer</a> mental health.</p>
<p>We used data from secondary school children which is collected every two years via the <a href="https://www.shrn.org.uk/">School Health Research Network</a>. This is used to increase our understanding of risk factors for health, and to help schools and other organisations improve the lives of young people in Wales. </p>
<p>Students answered questions about emotional problems, including how often they felt low, irritable, nervous and had sleep difficulties. They also answered questions about friendship quality and bullying, both in person and online. In total, we looked at data from more than 200,000 students aged between 11 and 16 from three surveys of Welsh secondary schools in 2013, 2017 and 2019. </p>
<h2>Rise in emotional problems</h2>
<p>We found a substantial increase in emotional problems among young people in Wales between 2013 and 2019. The proportion of young people with high numbers of emotional problems rose from 23% to 38%. Our findings are in line with <a href="https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2017/2017">increasing rates</a> of emotional disorders, <a href="https://www.health.org.uk/publications/reports/improving-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-services">referrals</a> to child and adolescent mental health services, and youth <a href="https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-021-03235-w">self-harm and suicide</a> during this period. </p>
<p>Our study highlights that existing mental health inequalities were getting worse even before 2020. This is a particularly concerning trend as it predates COVID, which is known to have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9373888/">exacerbated</a> mental health problems. Girls and those from poorer families experienced steeper increases in emotional problems. </p>
<p>The reasons for this finding are complex. While our study doesn’t examine potential reasons, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wps.21160#:%7E:text=These%20structural%20conditions%20include%20factors,to%20access%20acceptable%20and%20affordable">other research</a> suggests that being richer allows families to access better housing, adequate food, better healthcare and less stressors more generally. </p>
<p>There are several <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(16)30348-0/fulltext">possible reasons</a> for worse mental health among girls, including sex hormones, lower self-esteem, more interpersonal stressors, gender-based violence and – on a societal level – a lack of gender equality and discrimination. But not enough research has been conducted in this field.</p>
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<img alt="A girl in the foreground looks at her phone while a group of girls behind her laugh." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569867/original/file-20240117-29-bx3ipk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569867/original/file-20240117-29-bx3ipk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569867/original/file-20240117-29-bx3ipk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569867/original/file-20240117-29-bx3ipk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569867/original/file-20240117-29-bx3ipk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569867/original/file-20240117-29-bx3ipk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569867/original/file-20240117-29-bx3ipk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Girls and those from poorer families experienced steeper increases in emotional problems.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pre-teen-girl-being-bullied-by-636363332">Daisy Daisy/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>The proportion of students experiencing bullying increased slightly between 2013 and 2019, and friendship quality decreased slightly. However, while we found a strong association between the quality of adolescent social relationships and emotional problems, social relationships such as friendship quality and bullying did not appear to explain these population-level increases in mental health problems. </p>
<h2>Mental health support</h2>
<p>Our findings highlight a growing need for mental health support for young people to address the steep increase in their emotional problems over the past decade, particularly among poorer families. Currently, <a href="https://endchildpoverty.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Local-child-poverty-indicators-report-2022_FINAL.pdf">one in three</a> Welsh children live below the poverty line. We need to pay particular attention to supporting these young people, and others <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00787-019-01305-9">across the UK</a>, who are at greater risk of emotional problems.</p>
<p>While social relationship measures didn’t follow the same steep trend as emotional symptoms, improving the quality of young people’s social relationships and reducing bullying are still important priorities. There is currently a move towards a <a href="https://www.gov.wales/framework-embedding-whole-school-approach-emotional-and-mental-wellbeing">whole school approach</a> in Wales, which involves providing a supportive context for healthy relationships in schools more generally. </p>
<p>The growing needs of young people with mental health issues are adding to our already <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8353214/">significantly strained</a> child and adolescent mental health services. Much more investment needs to be made to support our young and most vulnerable people. </p>
<p>Policy-makers, schools and practitioners should pay particular attention to this steep rise in emotional problems, particularly among girls and young people from less-affluent families.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220799/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca E Anthony receives funding from the Wolfson Foundation</span></em></p>New research looking at data from 200,000 children in Wales has found a substantial increase in mental health issues.Rebecca E Anthony, Research Associate at the Centre for Development, Evaluation, Complexity and Implementation in Public Health Improvement and Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Cardiff UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2191212024-01-04T13:23:24Z2024-01-04T13:23:24ZBullies in South African schools were often bullied themselves – insights from an expert<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563586/original/file-20231205-22-flzjow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Bullying is far more complex than current interventions acknowledge.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Georgia Court/Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>“Pupil stabbed to death at Gauteng school had suffered <a href="https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/pupil-stabbed-to-death-at-gauteng-school-had-suffered-history-of-bullying-says-family-20230204">history of bullying</a>”. “Grade 6 learner commits suicide <a href="https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2023-10-26-independent-law-firm-to-investigate-pupils-suicide-after-alleged-bullying-incident/">after bullying</a>”. “Grade 11 learner takes her own life after taunts over <a href="https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2023-01-29-kzn-teen-allegedly-ends-her-life-after-taunts-over-her-appearance/">her appearance</a>.”</p>
<p>These are just some headlines about the occasionally tragic effects of violent school bullying in South African schools – and, unfortunately, the problem runs deep. In 2015 the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, which also collects information on the factors that affect academic performance, found that <a href="https://timssandpirls.bc.edu/timss2015/international-results/timss-2015/mathematics/school-safety/student-bullying/">64%</a> of South African grade 9 learners (most aged between 14 and 16) experience bullying (social, verbal, physical or cyber) on at least a monthly basis. A similar rate, 65%, <a href="https://timss2019.org/reports/home-contexts/#contexts-school-discipline">was found in 2019</a>. </p>
<p>The Department of Basic Education introduced the <a href="https://wcedonline.westerncape.gov.za/documents/SafeSchools/National%20School%20Safety%20Framework.pdf">National School Safety Framework</a> in 2015. This aimed to empower schools in identifying and addressing security threats, aligning with international conventions and national legislation on child rights and safety. It draws on substantial policy frameworks, including several key pieces of legislation. However, this framework has had limited effects. </p>
<p>Now, in what seems like a last resort, the department is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8luI1msXeHs">promoting</a> the use of Section 2(4) of the <a href="https://www.justice.gov.za/forms/form_pha.html">Protection from Harassment Act</a>. It empowers children to apply for a protection order without their parents’ help. </p>
<p>I am an education policy analyst and, over the past decade, I have focused on how school environments affect learner achievement. Parts of any school’s environment are the quality of relationships among learners, feelings of safety, learner’s sense of belonging, and the prevailing attitudes and values of learners and teachers. My research thus includes school bullying. My work explores factors influencing bullying and its outcomes, informing policies for safer schools. <a href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/saje/article/view/180170">Research</a> I’ve conducted with colleagues on the nature of bullying in South African schools unfortunately shows that such measures are likely ineffective.</p>
<p>That’s because bullying is complex. Our research findings point to cycles of bullying where learners can be victims of bullying in some contexts and perpetrators in others. We call these learners bully-victims. When they are repeatedly victimised, some individuals – seeking power and control – turn to bullying as a coping mechanism. Our results provide evidence that bullying and victimisation should not be thought of strictly as opposing behaviours, but as a symbiotic relationship. Understanding this complexity is important for shaping effective anti-bullying programmes, which should focus on the school as a system rather than on individual learners.</p>
<h2>What learners told us</h2>
<p>Our study drew from self-reported data provided by 12,154 grade 9 students who participated in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study in 2015. Its purpose was to understand the risk factors associated with being a victim of bullying and the relationship between perpetrators and victims. It was the first nationally representative study of this kind, where learners were asked about the types of bullying that they were victims and perpetrators of. </p>
<p>We found that for all forms of bullying, being a perpetrator was significantly related to being a victim of bullying. This was true for being made fun of (verbal bullying), being hurt (physical bullying) and being left out of games (relational bullying). The highest odds were found for having information posted online (cyber bullying), students being forced to do things that they did not want to do and students being threatened. Learners who had information about them posted online were 13 times more likely to post information online about others.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-girls-continue-to-experience-violence-at-south-african-schools-157470">Why girls continue to experience violence at South African schools</a>
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<p>The findings indicate that it is important to identify bully-victims as a distinct group from those who are just victims or perpetrators. Bullying and victimisation should not be thought of strictly as opposing behaviours. This will help policymakers and schools to design appropriate interventions. </p>
<h2>What lowers the risk of bullying?</h2>
<p>An important finding in the study is that the school environment, or at least the students’ feelings towards the environment, was associated with bullying behaviour. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/schools-can-be-a-great-resource-for-mental-health-in-south-africa-186410">Schools can be a great resource for mental health in South Africa</a>
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<p>Students who reported feeling secure and that they belonged at school were less likely to be bullied. Students who felt exposed to unfair treatment by teachers were more likely to be bullied. These trends were very similar across the types of bullying. It is clear that school principals and teachers need to foster a positive and inclusive school environment where all students feel valued and supported. </p>
<p>Students should also be encouraged to get involved in building a positive culture. This could lead to the co-creation of schooling norms that build values and protect learners. </p>
<p>Parents have an important role to play, too. The Department of Basic Education has resources available such as “<a href="https://www.education.gov.za/Portals/0/Documents/Publications/Bullying%20A5.pdf?ver=2015-01-30-081322-067">Tips for Parents</a>”, which shows parents how to teach children about different forms of bullying, how to recognise it, and the importance of reporting any incidents. The booklet also describes the warning signs of being bullied. Some of these tips include assuring children that you will immediately investigate and report the situation with the school principal rather than trying to be a “fix-it” parent by calling the bully’s parents. </p>
<h2>Targeted programmes</h2>
<p>In the pursuit of safer schools, the discourse must move beyond awareness to designing targeted programmes that are based on evidence. Only through such comprehensive insights can we hope to develop strategies that genuinely resonate with the complex realities faced by students in the country.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219121/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study was funded by the Department of Basic Education. Andrea Juan holds an honorary research fellowship at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Law. </span></em></p>When they are repeatedly victimised, some individuals turn to bullying as a coping mechanism, seeking power and control.Andrea Juan, Chief Research Specialist, Human Sciences Research CouncilLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2201022023-12-19T22:15:04Z2023-12-19T22:15:04ZPeter Bone kicked out of parliament for violence and sexual misconduct: how recall petitions work<p>In the 2019 general election, Conservative Peter Bone held his seat in the Northamptonshire constituency of Wellingborough with more than <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14001025">60% of the vote</a>. Four years later, although there hasn’t been another election, he is no longer an MP. Bone, who was found to have <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/globalassets/mps-lords--offices/standards-and-financial-interests/independent-expert-panel/hc-1904---the-conduct-of-mr-peter-bone-mp.pdf">bullied and exposed himself to a member of his staff</a>, is one of the few examples of a member of parliament being thrown out in a recall. </p>
<p>The recall is a mechanism introduced in 2015 to deal with elected representatives who misbehave in office. While recalls have a longer pedigree in <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Gray_Davis_recall,_Governor_of_California_(2003)">some parts of the world</a>, they are a relatively new phenomenon in the UK. Bone is only the fourth MP to lose their seat via recall and only the fifth MP to face a recall petition (the very first was survived by <a href="https://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/first-use-of-the-recall-of-mps-act-tough-test-in-north-antrim">Ian Paisley Jnr</a> in 2018).</p>
<p>Bone could still return as a local MP since his recall will be followed by a byelection in which he has the right to stand as an independent. He may believe he has a chance given the strength of his 2019 result. But the reality is that recalls generally end careers. </p>
<p>The most recent recall involved Scottish National Party MP Margaret Ferrier, who <a href="https://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/info/200236/politicians/2157/statutory_notices">lost her seat in July 2023</a>. This followed a lengthy suspension for breaking pandemic lockdown rules by travelling on a train while knowingly infected with COVID. She chose not to stand in the byelection that followed her recall. </p>
<p>Bone’s recall was also triggered by a lengthy suspension, in his case imposed after a <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2023/october-2023/independent-expert-panel-recommends-suspending-peter-bone-mp-for-bullying-and-sexual-misconduct/">parliamentary investigation</a> found that he had hit a member of his staff on multiple occasions and exposed himself to him on another. Bone has <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67137918">denied the allegations</a>.</p>
<h2>How a recall happens</h2>
<p>A recall petition is automatically launched when an MP is suspended from the House of Commons for longer than ten days. Any shorter period of suspension carries no further sanction. </p>
<p>The decision to suspend an MP must go through the House of Commons but this is usually a rubber-stamping exercise that comes at the very end of an investigation or even a police probe (as in the case of several other MPs who have been recalled). </p>
<p>Bone’s six-week suspension was agreed without debate in <a href="https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2023-10-25/debates/7C920BD7-673D-4BB3-9F57-9FB91BE03C62/BusinessWithoutDebate">late October</a> after the publication of the investigation into his conduct.</p>
<p>Once a recall has been triggered, local voters have the chance to sign a petition to have their MP removed. They can sign in person at multiple locations around the constituency or remotely by post or by <a href="https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/elections-and-voting/recall-petition-wellingborough-constituency/signing-petition">appointing a proxy</a>. T</p>
<p>he process is effectively very similar to a general election except that rather than having just one polling day, recall petitions stay open for weeks. Bone’s constituents had between November 8 and December 19 to sign.</p>
<p>When a recall petition is triggered, organisations, such as political parties, can register as official campaigners either for or against a recall. As in election contests, there are spending limits and a need to provide an account of what was spent. In this case <a href="https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/elections-and-voting/recall-petition-wellingborough-constituency/petition-campaigners">only the Labour Party appears to have registered</a>.</p>
<p>If more than 10% of registered voters sign the recall petition, the MP loses their seat. Bone has been removed because that threshold has been reached among Wellingborough’s 78,000 registered voters. </p>
<h2>Another byelection headache for the Tories</h2>
<p>It is easy to see why some opposition parties might campaign for a recall. The seat could be winnable. It could be a chance to harry the incumbent party. It is all part of a build up to a future general election contest.</p>
<p>Of course, an MP can avoid a recall petition by simply resigning. Former prime minister Boris Johnson did precisely that in 2022 when <a href="https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/40412/documents/197897/default/">facing a lengthy suspension</a> for misleading the house. His former colleague <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/sep/07/chris-pincher-to-resign-as-mp-after-losing-appeal-against-suspension">Chris Pincher’s resignation</a> meant the same. In cases such as these, constituents get a byelection whether they wanted one or not.</p>
<p>Bone’s constituents have decided that they want to be the next to hold a byelection. The only thing that can stop them now is if the general election is imminent – and it only becomes imminent with a firm date. </p>
<p>Given the timing of the recall petition, it is almost certain that Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives will have to endure another pre-general election vote triggered by the misconduct of one of his team. Even in a safe seat, that’s a fate they will have hoped to avoid.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220102/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paula Keaveney is a member of the Liberal Democrats</span></em></p>Bone has become only the fourth MP to ever lose their seat via a recall petition.Paula Keaveney, Senior Lecturer in Politics, Edge Hill UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2171822023-11-28T21:53:23Z2023-11-28T21:53:23ZCyberbullying girls with pornographic deepfakes is a form of misogyny<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561919/original/file-20231127-19-5mwcx3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C51%2C3840%2C1931&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Much commentary has focussed on the political harms of deepfakes, but we've heard less about how they are specifically being used to degrade girls and women. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/cyberbullying-girls-with-pornographic-deepfakes-is-a-form-of-misogyny" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The BBC recently reported on a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66877718">disturbing new form of cyberbullying that took place at a school</a> in Almendralejo, Spain. </p>
<p>A group of girls were harmed by male classmates who used an app powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to generate “deepfake” pornographic images of the girls, and then distributed those images on social media. </p>
<p>State-of-the-art AI models can generate novel images and backgrounds given three to five photos of a subject, and <a href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/12/thanks-to-ai-its-probably-time-to-take-your-photos-off-the-internet">very little technical knowledge</a> is required to use them. While deepfaked images were easier to detect a few years ago, today, amateurs can easily create work rivalling <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/11/20/a-history-of-fake-things-on-the-internet-walter-j-scheirer-book-review">expensive CGI effects by professionals</a>. </p>
<p>The harms in this case can be partially explained in terms of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-023-00657-0">consent and privacy violations</a>. But as researchers whose work is concerned with AI and ethics, we see deeper issues as well.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-combat-the-unethical-and-costly-use-of-deepfakes-184722">How to combat the unethical and costly use of deepfakes</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>Deepfake porn cyberbullying</h2>
<p>In the Almendralejo incident, more than 20 girls between 11 and 17 came forward as victims of fake pornographic images. This incident fits into larger trends of how this technology is being used. A 2019 study <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/porn-deepfakes-96-percent-online">found 96 per cent of all deepfake videos online were pornographic</a>, prompting significant commentary about how <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/10/7/20902215/deepfakes-usage-youtube-2019-deeptrace-research-report">they are being specifically used to degrade women</a>.</p>
<p>The political risks of deepfakes have received high-profile coverage, but as philosophy researchers Regina Rini and Leah Cohen explore, <a href="https://jesp.org/index.php/jesp/article/view/1628">it is also relevant to consider deeper personal harms</a>. </p>
<p>Legal scholars like Danielle Keats Citron note it is clear society “<a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674659902">has a poor track record addressing harms primarily suffered by women and girls</a>.” By staying quiet and unseen, girls might escape becoming victims of this new and cruel form of cyberbullying.
We think it is likely this technology will create additional barriers for students — especially girls — who may miss out on opportunities due to the fear of calling attention to themselves. </p>
<h2>Used as tool for misogyny</h2>
<p>Philosopher Kate Manne provides a helpful framework for thinking about how deepfake technology can be used as a tool for misogyny. For Manne, “<a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/down-girl-9780190604981">misogyny should be understood as the ‘law enforcement’ branch of a patriarchal order</a>, which has the overall function of policing and enforcing its governing ideology.”</p>
<p>That is, misogyny polices women and girls, discouraging them from taking traditionally male-dominated roles. This policing can come from others, but it can also be self-imposed.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/trolling-and-doxxing-graduate-students-sharing-their-research-online-speak-out-about-hate-210874">Trolling and doxxing: Graduate students sharing their research online speak out about hate</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>Manne explains there are punishments for women perceived as resisting gendered norms and expectations. External policing of misogyny involves the disciplining of women through various forms of punishment for deviating from or resisting gendered norms and expectations. </p>
<p>Women can be denied a career opportunity, harassed sexually or harmed physically for not living up to gendered expectations. And now, women can be punished through the use of deepfakes. The patriarchy has another weapon to wield. </p>
<p>When considering Manne’s <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/608442/entitled-by-kate-manne/9780593287767">notion of male entitlement</a>, we can predict instances of this policing occurring if female students are offered positions male students deem they are entitled to, such as winning the student council elections or receiving academic awards in traditionally male-dominated fields. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young man seen looking at a phone while two women walk past." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561899/original/file-20231127-24-ovh6wh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561899/original/file-20231127-24-ovh6wh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561899/original/file-20231127-24-ovh6wh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561899/original/file-20231127-24-ovh6wh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561899/original/file-20231127-24-ovh6wh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561899/original/file-20231127-24-ovh6wh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561899/original/file-20231127-24-ovh6wh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Will cyberbullying via deepfakes be presented as ‘just a joke’?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A ‘joke’?</h2>
<p>The technology of deepfakes is a very accessible weapon to wield in these cases, and one that can cause a lot of harm. The shame and threat to personal safety are already evident. Cultural misogyny additionally harms by trivializing this experience: he can still say it is just a joke, that she is taking it too seriously and she shouldn’t be hurt by it because it isn’t real.</p>
<p>Self-imposed policing can be reinforced through deepfakes and other image manipulative technology. Knowing that this form of cyberbullying is available can lead to self-censoring. </p>
<p>Students who are visible in public leadership have more likelihood of being deepfaked; these students are known by more people in their school communities and are scrutinized for public roles. </p>
<h2>Will we become more used to them?</h2>
<p>It could be that once these deepfakes become more common, people will be less surprised to see these images and videos, so they will not be as scandalous to others and embarrassing to the victim. </p>
<p>Yet, philosophy scholar Keith Raymond Harris discusses how people can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-021-03379-y">make psychological associations even when they know they are basing these on false content</a>. These associations, even if they may not “rise to the level of belief” can be classified as a harm of deepfakes. </p>
<p>That means that when students make deepfakes of their classmates, it can alter their perception of their targets and cause further real-life mistreatment, harassment and disrespect. </p>
<p>It means that boys are less likely to consider their peers, who are girls, as capable students deserving of opportunities. The use of this technology amongst peers in schools risks damaging girls’ confidence through the sexist education environment that this technology will enforce.</p>
<h2>Another tool for ‘typecasting’ girls</h2>
<p>Manne’s analysis also suggests how even if a girl does not have a deepfake of her made directly, deepfakes can still impact her. As she writes, “women are often treated as interchangeable and representative of a certain type of woman. Because of this, women can be singled out and treated as representative targets, then standing in imaginatively for a large swath of others.” </p>
<p>Girls are often classified into types in this way, from the ‘80s “<a href="https://www.tripletsandus.com/growing-up-in-the-80s/slang-terms-from-the-80s/#:%7E:text=Valley%20Girl%2FVal,%2C%20omygod%2C%20so%20rad!%22">Valley Girl</a>,” the millennial notion of the “<a href="https://www.thecut.com/2014/10/what-do-you-really-mean-by-basic-bitch.html">basic bitch</a>” to Gen Z classifications of <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/9/24/20881656/vsco-girl-meme-what-is-a-vsco-girl">“VSCO-Girl</a>,” (named from a photo editing app) or a <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/a42134933/what-is-a-pick-me-girl-definition/">“Pick-Me Girl</a>.” </p>
<p>When these psychological associations made of a particular woman lead to misogynistic associations of all women, misogyny will be further enforced.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="(A girl's face against technological imagery like a fingerprint and a grid." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561905/original/file-20231127-28-cgy6zn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C431%2C6000%2C3260&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561905/original/file-20231127-28-cgy6zn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561905/original/file-20231127-28-cgy6zn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561905/original/file-20231127-28-cgy6zn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561905/original/file-20231127-28-cgy6zn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561905/original/file-20231127-28-cgy6zn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561905/original/file-20231127-28-cgy6zn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Deepfakes are the latest technology used to uphold patriarchy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Lampooning, shunning, shaming women</h2>
<p>Manne explains that misogyny does not solely manifest through violent acts, but “women [can]… be taken down imaginatively, rather than literally, by vilifying, demonizing, belittling, humiliating, mocking, lampooning, shunning and shaming them.”</p>
<p>In the case of deepfakes, misogyny appears in this non-physically violent form. Still, in Almendralejo, one parent interviewed for the story rightly classified the artificial nude photos of the girls distributed by their classmates “an act of violence.” </p>
<p>We doubt this technology is going away. Understanding how deepfakes can be used as a tool for misogyny is an important first step in considering the harms they will likely cause, and what this may mean for parents, children, youth and schools addressing cyberbullying.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217182/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Understanding how deepfakes can be used as a tool for misogyny is an important first step in considering the harms they will likely cause, including through school cyberbullying.Amanda Margaret Narvali, PhD Student, Philosophy, University of GuelphJoshua August (Gus) Skorburg, Associate Professor, University of GuelphMaya J. Goldenberg, Professor of Philosophy, University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2132112023-11-27T13:40:22Z2023-11-27T13:40:22ZWhy are bullies so mean? A youth psychology expert explains what’s behind their harmful behavior<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555404/original/file-20231023-19-fns0q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C0%2C6781%2C3574&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Spreading rumors about others is one form of bullying.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/young-sad-teenage-girl-feeling-lonely-and-excluded-royalty-free-image/1413738081?phrase=bullying+school&adppopup=true">LumiNola/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">curiouskidsus@theconversation.com</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Why are bullies so mean? – Daisy, age 9, Lake Oswego, Oregon</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>Being bullied can make your life miserable, and decades of research prove it: Bullied children and teens <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2016.1148988">are at risk</a> for anxiety, depression, dropping out of school, peer rejection, social isolation and self-harm.</p>
<p>Adults can be bullied too, often at a job, and they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2020.101508">may suffer just as much</a> as kids do. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iFlrCuSyhvU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">You can help stop bullying in your school or workplace.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.cehd.udel.edu/faculty-bio/sara-goldstein/">I’m a professor</a> who studies child and adolescent development. That includes learning how people become bullies – and how they can be stopped. </p>
<p>First, let’s <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2015-20405-003.pdf">define what bullying is</a>: It’s mean-spirited, harmful behavior by someone with more power or status – like a popular kid at school or a supervisor at work – who repeatedly picks on, harasses, irritates or injures a person with less power or status. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13134-9_3">Bullying can take many forms</a> – physical, like pushing, shoving and hitting; relational, such as spreading rumors, keeping somebody out of a friend group or just rude remarks; or sexual harassment and stalking behavior. </p>
<p>Sometimes, bullies target someone because of their race, religion, sexual orientation or appearance. People from the LGBTQ+ community, or who are overweight, or with a physical or developmental disability are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2018.02.001">more likely to be bullied</a>. As a result, they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13134-9_3">may develop mental health problems</a>, including depression, anxiety and self-harming behavior.</p>
<h2>So why do bullies do it?</h2>
<p>People learn how to bully others early on through what psychologists call modeling and social learning. This means bullies see other people bullying and they essentially model, or copy, this aggressive behavior. </p>
<p>Media is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119011071.iemp0166">a big culprit here</a>. When mean or violent conduct is glamorized and gamified in music, video games, TV and movies, bullies will imitate what they see and hear, especially if it seems cool or if it’s rewarded. </p>
<p>Family <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/CHI.0b013e31819cb017">is also an influence</a>. If children grow up in a home without kindness and closeness, but with plenty of physical punishment and heavy conflict – including parents fighting with each other – then children view this behavior as acceptable. They can go on to treat their peers this way. </p>
<p>A similar thing happens when a kid falls into a group of friends who are bullies; they become <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S095457941900083X">more likely to bully others themselves</a>. To say it another way, they bully because they think it makes them look cool in front of their friends.</p>
<p>And bullies bully for <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/bullying#:%7E">lots of other reasons</a>. Some do it because it makes them feel better about themselves when they put other people down. Other bullies discovered that force and intimidation worked for them in the past, so it’s a go-to strategy to get what they want. Still others simply have difficulty controlling themselves and can’t calm down when they’re angry. </p>
<p>And with some bullies, it’s just a way to get ahead. For instance, an adult bully in the workplace <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Bullying-and-Harassment-in-the-Workplace-Theory-Research-and-Practice/Einarsen-Hoel-Zapf-Cooper/p/book/9781138615991">may spread an embarrassing rumor</a> about a co-worker to keep a rival from being promoted. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Dealing with cyberbullies.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How to handle bullies</h2>
<p>Fortunately, there are lots of ways to stop a bully.</p>
<p>If you’re a child or teenager, talk about what has happened with a trusted adult – a parent, teacher, principal or counselor. They will help you figure out your next move. Schools are familiar with this sort of problem; they have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13134-9_3">policies in place</a> to protect victims of bullying. </p>
<p>If you’re an adult who has been bullied in the workplace, talk to your human resources department or a neutral supervisor who can advise you on next steps. You are also legally protected – employment laws <a href="https://www.eeoc.gov/harassment">prohibit harassment and discriminatory behavior</a>. </p>
<p>Whatever your age, it’s a good idea to talk to friends or family members who may not be involved in the incident but who will offer support. Engaging in coping activities – like exercising, or relaxing with a walk – <a href="https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2019-4-2">may also help</a>. </p>
<p>You can also use the <a href="https://www.crisistextline.org/topics/bullying/#bullying-and-suicide-8">Crisis Text Line</a>, available 24/7, by texting 741741. Or call the <a href="https://www.cybersmile.org/advice-help/category/who-to-call">Stop Bullying Now Hotline</a> at 1-800-273-8255; the link also provides international numbers. Or call 988 to reach the national <a href="https://988lifeline.org/">Suicide & Crisis Lifeline</a>.</p>
<p>And a final word: Bullying is not acceptable. It’s not just “kids being kids,” or that you’re “too sensitive.” If a bully is bothering you, don’t try to handle it alone – getting help is the way to get through.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com</a>. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.</em></p>
<p><em>And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213211/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sara Goldstein does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>No matter your age, if you’re being bullied − there’s help out there.Sara Goldstein, Professor of Human Development, University of DelawareLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2178022023-11-20T19:00:45Z2023-11-20T19:00:45ZAs homeschooling numbers keep rising in Australia, is more regulation a good idea?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560266/original/file-20231119-15-hczh37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=32%2C43%2C7206%2C4786&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/mother-helping-her-daughter-with-homework-4260475/">August De Richelieu/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The number of families choosing to homeschool in Australia and <a href="https://nasenjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1467-8578.12468">around the world</a> keeps growing.</p>
<p>New data from Queensland <a href="https://qed.qld.gov.au/our-publications/reports/statistics/Documents/home-education-registrations.pdf">released last week</a> show there has been a 20% increase over the past year, with 10,048 registered homeschoolers up from 8,461. Over the last five years, there has been a 152% growth in primary students and 262% growth in high school students who are home schooled in the state. </p>
<p>At the same time, Queensland is <a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=CMWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.couriermail.com.au%2Fqueensland-education%2Fqld-homeschooling-crackdown-looms-as-parents-fail-to-make-grade%2Fnews-story%2Fdb318404cf763488e7c48fab53b4c4e7&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-1-NOSCORE">looking at</a> “cracking down” on parents who home school. </p>
<p>There are concerns homeschooling needs more regulation because parents only have to report once a year and are not subjected to testing such as NAPLAN. Is this what we need?</p>
<h2>Homeschooling across Australia</h2>
<p>In <a href="https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/wcm/connect/7281cfd6-b3e4-4346-ae2c-33e63e8e6106/home-schooling-data-reports-relating-to-2022.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=">New South Wales</a> 12,359 students were registered for homeschooling in January 2023, a 37% jump on the 2022 figures. </p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.vrqa.vic.gov.au/aboutus/Pages/homeschoolingstatistics2020.aspx#:%7E:text=Home%20schooling%20in%202022,their%20children%20for%20home%20schooling.">Victoria</a>, the most recent figures show there were 11,912 homeschooled students as of December 2022, an increase of 36% since 2021. </p>
<p>Across the country, I estimate, based on state and territory data, there are more than 43,000 legally registered homeschooled students. This does not include students whose parents <a href="https://theconversation.com/homeschooling-boomed-last-year-but-these-4-charts-show-it-was-on-the-rise-before-covid-157309">do not register them</a> with their state or territory education departments, even though it is a legal requirement. </p>
<p>Estimates on the numbers who do not register vary. Some home education curriculum providers suggest there are as many <a href="https://euka.edu.au/all-resources/why-is-homeschooling-on-the-rise-in-australia/#:%7E:text=As%20of%202019%2C%20there%20are,enrolled%20in%20distance%20education%20either.">unregistered students</a> as there are registered students. Accurate figures are difficult because families are reluctant to admit they are not meeting their legal requirements.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two young children work at a desk with books and pens." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560270/original/file-20231119-21-gz39av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560270/original/file-20231119-21-gz39av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560270/original/file-20231119-21-gz39av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560270/original/file-20231119-21-gz39av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560270/original/file-20231119-21-gz39av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560270/original/file-20231119-21-gz39av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560270/original/file-20231119-21-gz39av.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There are more than 43,000 students registered for homeschool in Australia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/children-doing-their-homework-6248432/">Kampus Production/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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<h2>Why are numbers growing?</h2>
<p>A 2023 <a href="https://education.qld.gov.au/schools-and-educators/other-education/Documents/research-insight-report.pdf">Queensland government report</a> shared data from a survey of more 500 parents in the state who homeschooled their children. </p>
<p>It found 45% of families surveyed never intended to homeschool. It also found 61% had a child with a disability or health issue, including ADHD, autism, behavioural issues and mental ill health. Many also had concerns about bullying. </p>
<p>Families also reported their child was not learning at school, and not wanting to go, so homeschooling became the only choice available.</p>
<p>This reflects academic research, which finds most families who choose to homeschool have <a href="https://web.s.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=02adef93-84d0-4ec7-83ba-1b7150d7ea7d%40redis">negative school experiences</a>, withdraw because of <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/238245/">bullying</a> or are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00131911.2020.1728232">neurodiverse</a>.</p>
<p>While <a href="https://theconversation.com/homeschooling-boomed-last-year-but-these-4-charts-show-it-was-on-the-rise-before-covid-157309">homeschooling was growing</a> before the pandemic, the school-at-home arrangements during COVID led to a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-25/queensland-home-school-registrations-soar-during-covid-19-/100778840">large growth</a> in numbers. For some families, the experience showed them learning at home was <a href="https://brill.com/display/book/9789004532571/BP000013.xml">possible and enjoyable</a> and they <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.588667/full">decided</a> not to go back.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/he-was-in-fear-of-his-life-bullying-can-be-a-major-factor-in-deciding-to-homeschool-193621">'He was in fear of his life': bullying can be a major factor in deciding to homeschool</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What do homeschooling parents need to do?</h2>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="A young child sits at a desk, typing on a computer." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560276/original/file-20231120-19-jc4sns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560276/original/file-20231120-19-jc4sns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560276/original/file-20231120-19-jc4sns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560276/original/file-20231120-19-jc4sns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560276/original/file-20231120-19-jc4sns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560276/original/file-20231120-19-jc4sns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/560276/original/file-20231120-19-jc4sns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Most parents who homeschool their kids are not qualified teachers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-blue-crew-neck-shirt-using-black-laptop-computer-3994051/">Alexander Grey/Pexels</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Many families who homeschool are not qualified educators. Of those surveyed in the 2023 <a href="https://education.qld.gov.au/schools-and-educators/other-education/Documents/research-insight-report.pdf">Queensland report</a>, 20% had a teaching qualification. A further 15% had experience working in a school in a role other than teaching.</p>
<p>According to the state’s <a href="https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2006-039">Education Act</a>, homeschooling parents have to provide a “<a href="https://education.qld.gov.au/schools-and-educators/other-education/Documents/home-education-fact-sheet.pdf">high-quality education</a>” tailored to the needs of the child and the child must show progress. </p>
<p>Families need to <a href="https://ppr.qed.qld.gov.au/attachment/reporting-for-registration-for-home-education.docx">report annually</a> on the child’s learning and provide a plan for the following year. Parents also <a href="https://education.qld.gov.au/schools-and-educators/other-education/Documents/reporting-information-and-samples-set1.pdf">provide samples</a> of their child’s learning.</p>
<p>Approaches vary across other states. In New South Wales there is a <a href="https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/wcm/connect/765f88b5-cd94-4acc-a75c-4b88d60d8fb8/form-2-application-for-renewal-or-exemption-from-registration-for-home-schooling.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=">home visit</a> by a department representative. In Victoria, a family provides a plan and must submit to an audit if they are chosen at random.</p>
<p>Parents do not have to teach to the Australian Curriculum <a href="https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/parent-information/">because</a> it sets the goals for what students should learn as they progress through school, not what parents should be doing at home.</p>
<h2>To regulate or not to regulate?</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=CMWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.couriermail.com.au%2Fqueensland-education%2Fqld-homeschooling-crackdown-looms-as-parents-fail-to-make-grade%2Fnews-story%2Fdb318404cf763488e7c48fab53b4c4e7&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-1-NOSCORE">Courier Mail</a> has reported the Queensland government is considering a “crackdown” on homeschooling rules, noting homeschoolers aren’t required to use the Australian Curriculum or do NAPLAN tests.</p>
<p>However, international research suggests <a href="https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/an-overview-of-the-worldwide-rise-and-expansion-of-home-education-homeschooling/266744">homeschooling outcomes</a> are as good as at mainstream schools in terms of academic success. Homeschooling <a href="https://home-ed.vic.edu.au/the-effectiveness-of-home-education/">can work</a> because it suits some children better and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781118926895.ch5">parents are motivated</a> to help their children learn.</p>
<p>There is a risk too much regulation will lead to more families flying “under the radar” and not registering. Many who <a href="http://users.comcen.com.au/%7Eguthltd/johnno.homeschool/technical/Registration.htm">do not register now</a> say they do not comply because they are <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=IZSLBQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA112&dq=not+registering+as+a+homeschooler&ots=Zn8Y1L0zXP&sig=2wylgQBAl_l9Fx5vIsU4muD-mi8&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=register&f=false">scared of authorities</a> and feel they have been let down by schools in the past. </p>
<p>Australian <a href="https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/reliable-or-risky/266759">research</a> suggests onerous compliance requirements lead to families disengaging with authorities and does not lead to better outcomes for students.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/homeschooled-students-often-get-better-test-results-and-have-more-degrees-than-their-peers-111986">Homeschooled students often get better test results and have more degrees than their peers</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How to engage homeschooling families</h2>
<p>In <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/victorian-home-education-advisory-committee">Victoria</a> and <a href="https://theac.tas.gov.au/council-and-staff/">Tasmania</a>, homeschooling families have been included on <a href="https://theac.tas.gov.au/">boards</a> providing advice to government about regulation.</p>
<p>Surveys by the <a href="https://home-ed.vic.edu.au/should-i-register-victoria/">Home Education Network</a> (a home schooling support network) suggest more than 90% of homeschoolers in the state are registered. </p>
<p>If Queensland wants to <a href="https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/reliable-or-risky/266759">increase compliance</a>, it should consider doing more to work with families. For example, by including them in policy making about home education, so families see compliance as a way to support their child’s education, not as a “punishment” for not sending them to a mainstream school. </p>
<p>Governments should also look more closely at <a href="https://intapi.sciendo.com/pdf/10.2478/jped-2021-0004">why families leave schools</a>. We know families are not homeschooling as an “easy option” – they are doing it because it is a last resort.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/traditional-school-doesnt-suit-everyone-australia-needs-more-flexible-options-177608">Traditional school doesn't suit everyone. Australia needs more flexible options</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217802/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca English does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>New data from Queensland shows there has been a 20% increase in homeschooling in the state over the past year.Rebecca English, Senior Lecturer in Education, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2170502023-11-12T14:02:41Z2023-11-12T14:02:41ZRegina hospital allegations point to an epidemic of bullying and discrimination in health care<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558148/original/file-20231107-15-3o7m1j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C34%2C1920%2C1043&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Complaints of racial discrimination at the Regina General Hospital highlight how bullying and harassment are damaging workplaces across Canada. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://momsandkidssask.saskhealthauthority.ca/hospitals-facilities/hospitals-health-centres/regina-general-hospital">(Moms & Kids Health Saskatchewan)</a></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/regina-hospital-allegations-point-to-an-epidemic-of-bullying-and-discrimination-in-health-care" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Foreign-trained physicians at Regina General Hospital have <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/the-most-toxic-place-foreign-trained-doctors-file-human-rights-complaint-alleging-discrimination-1.6627237">alleged that discriminatory practices</a> by the hospital’s “racist, and discriminatory leadership” have led to them being targeted and sidelined. </p>
<p>Ten physicians trained in Africa and Asia filed a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission alleging they have faced bullying, harassment and racial discrimination. They claim that since a new director for the division of internal medicine was hired, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/human-rights-complaint-internal-medicine-regina-general-hospital-1.7021106">white physicians have been given more favoured shifts</a>.</p>
<p>When the physicians brought their concerns to hospital administrators, they said their complaints were dismissed. <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/the-most-toxic-place-foreign-trained-doctors-file-human-rights-complaint-alleging-discrimination-1.6627237">A Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) spokesperson said</a> the health authority was committed to having a representative workforce and would not comment on legal matters. Saskatchewan’s health minister <a href="https://regina.ctvnews.ca/sask-health-minister-says-alleged-racism-at-regina-hospital-under-third-party-review-1.6633523">said the SHA has launched a third-party investigation into the circumstances</a>.</p>
<h2>Physicians in distress</h2>
<p>Workplace violence in the form of bullying, harassment, sexual abuse and discrimination is not new to health care. The industry operates within a framework of entrenched hierarchical structures that create fertile ground for senior professionals to exhibit negative behavior towards their less experienced and trained counterparts. In fact, <a href="https://www.cma.ca/physician-wellness-hub/content/bullying-workplace">a 2018 survey by Resident Doctors of Canada</a> noted that more than three-quarters of medical residents said they had experienced workplace bullying, harassment and intimidation.</p>
<p>While bullying can manifest in any workplace, a more significant and enduring issue emerges when a toxic work environment not only tolerates but also enables such behavior. <a href="https://doi.org/10.36834%2Fcmej.57019">A systematic review</a> of 52 studies into workplace bullying in medicine found that it was prevalent and led to a range of negative outcomes that impact patient care and physician burnout.</p>
<p>In addition to causing distress to those directly impacted, widespread abuse in hospitals has far-reaching negative consequences. The rupture of trust and a breakdown in support invariably leads to a greater <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-019-0433-x">likelihood of medical errors and misjudgments</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A stressed Black doctor in scrubs sits with her head resting on her hands." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/558151/original/file-20231107-19-7023v6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Workplace bullying in hospitals can have far-reaching negative impacts on health-care workers and patients.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Racialized physicians in particular are more likely to encounter racism at work, and when this happens, they usually feel abandoned by their employers. This is re-enforced when complaints go unaddressed or if they are unfairly dismissed through policies designed by the organization. </p>
<p>In British Columbia, <a href="https://engage.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/613/2021/02/In-Plain-Sight-Data-Report_Dec2020.pdf1_.pdf">a 2020 report</a> described widespread systemic racism against Indigenous Peoples in the provincial health-care system. Almost 60 per cent of Indigenous people described witnessing racism and discrimination.</p>
<p>Hospital reputations are also adversely affected, which undermines patient confidence and draws unfavourable scrutiny. Bullying at work also has an <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Bullying-and-Harassment-in-the-Workplace-Theory-Research-and-Practice/Einarsen-Hoel-Zapf-Cooper/p/book/9781138615991">impact on the organization as a whole</a>. The negative impact on a person’s self-worth can significantly affect their performance at work. Frequent employee turnovers, diminished staff retention and a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0935-9_8">general decline in employee morale</a> can result in significant financial consequences. An environment that is unsafe and antagonistic compromises the standard of care provided to patients and jeopardizes the fundamental <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hippocratic-oath">principles of professional ethics</a>.</p>
<p>Like other health issues, workplace bullying has severe consequences and can lead to <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.28933/ijprr-2020-01-1205">long-term psychological stress</a>. Bullying is also linked to <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/40/14/1124/5180493?login=false">cardiovascular illness</a>, musculoskeletal disorders, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9450.2011.00932.x">sleep problems</a>, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v15i4.1733">generalized pain</a>. For those who are already struggling with mental health issues and suicidal thoughts, workplace bullying can increase the <a href="https://www.suicideinfo.ca/local_resource/workplace-suicide-prevention/">risk of suicide</a>.</p>
<h2>Independent oversight needed</h2>
<p>It’s time to understand workplace violence as a <a href="https://theconversation.com/workplace-bullying-should-be-treated-as-a-public-health-issue-190330">public health issue</a>. Substantial change may finally be achieved by allocating the proper financial and legal resources required for assessing, substantiating and intervening in to workplace bullying under the framework of the <a href="https://lois-laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/P-29.5/">Public Health Act</a>. There is <a href="https://doi.org/10.22454/FamMed.2020.384384">no independent oversight of complaints in Canada</a>, and it’s time to acknowledge that internal <a href="https://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2020/07/07/the-dangers-of-mishandling-harassment-complaints/">human resource departments are ill equipped</a> to deal with this issue.</p>
<p>A bold step forward would be the appointment of a national commissioner for workplace violence with the authority to probe allegations and impose heavy penalties. Such a dedicated entity would send a clear message: workplace harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated.</p>
<p>Workplace bullying could be significantly reduced by a public health mandate that includes a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/eis/field-epi-manual/chapters/Interventions.html">universal prevention focus</a>, intensive intervention and ongoing public health surveillance. </p>
<p>Through a national public health mandate, the commissioner could prevent and address workplace bullying, harassment and sexual abuse through mandatory, sector-specific training for workers and employers. </p>
<p>They could also oversee a confidential and standardized reporting system for complaints. This would remove the risk of retaliation by employers or supervisors and circumvent internal investigations that can be riddled with conflicts of interest.</p>
<p>A public health framework also allows experts to improve strategies to prevent bullying. Legal mechanisms with financial and criminal penalties would create an accountability framework for organizations that promotes safe and respectful workplaces. These strategies, along with a regulatory authority that can intervene, will improve workplaces across Canada.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217050/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jason Walker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Internal reviews are insufficient to investigate discrimination by hospital administrators and external frameworks are needed to protect employees who face bullying and harassment.Jason Walker, Program Director & Associate Professor, Industrial-Organizational and Applied Psychology, Adler UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2158622023-10-25T20:26:39Z2023-10-25T20:26:39ZWorkplace tensions: How and when bystanders can make a difference<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554617/original/file-20231018-17-tq49jv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=35%2C43%2C5806%2C3835&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The modern workplace is no stranger to political tensions, differing viewpoints and interpersonal conflicts.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In today’s climate of global political tensions and polarization, workplaces are filled with conflicting viewpoints. When employees hold political identities and perspectives that do not align with their co-workers, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2856">they perceive greater incivility from them</a>, which can result in greater stress and burnout.</p>
<p>Amid all this, bystander intervention has emerged as a key strategy for handling interpersonal conflicts. A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2017.07.006">substantial body of research</a> advocates for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3692-2">bystander interventions</a> as a means to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206317702219">support targets and curb aggressive workplace behaviours</a> ranging in severity from rudeness to confrontation, threats and, rarely, violence. </p>
<p>However, the effectiveness of bystander intervention remains largely uncertain. This is where our research comes in. <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2020.0396">Our recent paper</a> dives into this crucial topic by constructing a theoretical model outlining how perpetrators respond to bystander intervention during incidents of interpersonal workplace aggression.</p>
<h2>The bystander’s dilemma</h2>
<p>There are complex emotional dynamics at play when individuals witness workplace aggression. Bystanders often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000249">experience moral anger toward those who they perceive as perpetrators</a> and empathy for those they perceive as targets. These emotions, in turn, drive bystanders to support targets and penalize perpetrators. </p>
<p>However, there are several things that can reduce the likelihood of bystander action. One problem is that bystanders often lack the courage or skills to act on their convictions, failing to get involved in workplace tensions. </p>
<p>Another reason bystanders avoid intervening is fear of backlash from the perpetrator. And this fear is not without merit; <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.8.4.247">research has found</a> that perpetrators often retaliate when individuals voice concerns about mistreatment. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A group of people having a conversation in a conference room" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555670/original/file-20231024-24-mwuadj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555670/original/file-20231024-24-mwuadj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555670/original/file-20231024-24-mwuadj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555670/original/file-20231024-24-mwuadj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555670/original/file-20231024-24-mwuadj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555670/original/file-20231024-24-mwuadj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555670/original/file-20231024-24-mwuadj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There are complex emotional dynamics at play when individuals witness workplace aggression.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Even when bystanders do intervene, their actions can be ineffective, and, in some cases, counterproductive. In our paper, we argue this is because an intervention questions a perpetrator’s sense of goodness, causing a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12378">moral identity threat</a> and making them feel like a “bad person.” </p>
<p>At the same time, it also threatens the perpetrator’s <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/20159278">relational identity</a> by conveying that standard norms for acceptable co-worker behaviour have been violated. This suggests that the perpetrator is also acting as a “bad colleague”. Threatening messages are likely to be met with resistance from the perpetrator, who is then inclined towards self-protective action. </p>
<h2>The perpetrator’s perspective</h2>
<p>Our paper theorizes that, in most cases, a perpetrator’s initial response to an intervention will be defensive and resistant to feedback. This is especially the case when emotions are running high, making it difficult for individuals to consider alternative viewpoints. In such instances, perpetrators are likely to condemn intervening bystanders and may even react to them punitively.</p>
<p>But there is some encouraging news. Specific aspects of the bystander intervention — like who intervenes and how — can help perpetrators see the intervention as an opportunity for growth. For instance, when an intervention offers the perpetrator a chance to feel morally and relationally accepted by the bystander, they are more open to feedback. </p>
<p>In other words, interventions that criticize behaviour without attacking the person allow perpetrators to maintain their belief in their moral character and keep seeing themselves as a good colleague. Under these conditions, they are more likely to adopt a <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/01/what-having-a-growth-mindset-actually-means">growth-oriented mindset</a>. This ability to save face can lead them to consider the intervention as an opportunity to change their behaviour.</p>
<p>The identity of the person intervening also plays a crucial role. People are more willing to accept feedback from those they like and trust. Talking to people in a safe setting and listening to different viewpoints can help perpetrators consider other perspectives. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two women having a serious conversation at a table. One of the women has her back to the camera." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554616/original/file-20231018-28-8f4jb4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554616/original/file-20231018-28-8f4jb4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554616/original/file-20231018-28-8f4jb4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554616/original/file-20231018-28-8f4jb4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554616/original/file-20231018-28-8f4jb4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554616/original/file-20231018-28-8f4jb4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554616/original/file-20231018-28-8f4jb4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Interventions that criticize behaviour without attacking the person allow perpetrators to maintain their belief in their moral character.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Power dynamics at work have a considerable impact on intervention effectiveness. Powerful perpetrators tend to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012633">less concerned about the social implications of their actions</a> and are more likely to become defensive. In contrast, those with less power tend to be more dependent on others and, as a result, are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01824.x">more attuned to the expectations of their peers</a>. To ensure perpetrators are more receptive to an intervention, bystanders with more power than the perpetrator may need to step in.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, not everyone is equally susceptible to influence from others. While most people want to behave in a morally and socially acceptable manner, a minority of individuals are not concerned by such considerations. It can be hard to convince such individuals to change their mind, unless the bystander has the power to impose change. </p>
<h2>Strategies for effective intervention</h2>
<p>Our research offers several practical recommendations for effective bystander intervention in the workplace:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Carefully consider the best time to intervene. Unless there is a clear risk to the target (and a safe way to meaningfully intervene), it is best to wait until emotions have cooled.</p></li>
<li><p>Intervene in ways that allow the other person to maintain their sense of being a good person and colleague. Focus on addressing their behaviour, not their personal attributes, values or beliefs.</p></li>
<li><p>Recognize that powerful bystanders and those trusted by the other person are more effective in eliciting constructive responses than those with relatively less power.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Bystanders can play a pivotal role in resolving workplace tensions, with the power to shift the narrative from conflict to resolution. As workplace tensions mirror global and social turmoil, the ability to step in, intervene and shape outcomes becomes ever more valuable, especially for vulnerable populations. </p>
<p>The essence of bystander intervention is not just about stopping a negative act, but also about fostering an environment where respect, growth and collaboration thrive. Every time a bystander is able to intervene effectively, we move a step closer to a workplace where everyone feels valued and heard. We should not underestimate <a href="https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/fixing-a-toxic-work-culture-how-to-encourage-active-bystanders">the ripple effect that one thoughtful, constructive action</a> can have.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215862/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sandy Hershcovis receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brianna Barker Caza, Ivana Vranjes, and Zhanna Lyubykh do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The essence of bystander intervention is not just about stopping a negative act, but also about fostering an environment where respect, growth and collaboration thrive.Sandy Hershcovis, Associate Dean and Future Fund Professor in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, University of CalgaryBrianna Barker Caza, Associate Professor of Management, University of North Carolina – GreensboroIvana Vranjes, Assistant Professor of Social Psychology, Tilburg UniversityZhanna Lyubykh, Assistant Professor, Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2104802023-07-30T20:08:51Z2023-07-30T20:08:51ZHow do you know when it’s time to seriously think about changing your child’s school?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539871/original/file-20230727-17-ekkjce.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C34%2C5681%2C3747&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Cottonbro Studio/Pexels</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Going to school can be challenging for children and young people at times. Most young people will have patches during their school career <a href="https://theconversation.com/whether-its-a-new-teacher-or-class-heres-what-to-do-when-your-child-is-not-loving-it-199288">where it feels hard</a>. That’s normal. Getting through those hard times can bring with it sense of mastery, confidence and <a href="https://theconversation.com/grit-or-quit-how-to-help-your-child-develop-resilience-195195">resilience</a>. </p>
<p>Of course, this is not the experience of all young people, and many families find themselves asking whether a change of schools might be the best option for their child. </p>
<p>This is a big decision and one that parents don’t make lightly – few parents think it’s a good idea to change their child’s school on a regular basis. </p>
<p>While there are no black-and-white answers around this, there are some questions that might help your thinking. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/back-to-school-blues-are-normal-so-how-can-you-tell-if-its-something-more-serious-198671">Back-to-school blues are normal, so how can you tell if it's something more serious?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Involve the current school if you can</h2>
<p>Sometimes, when things are very difficult for your child at school, it can be easy to forget teachers and schools – just like parents – want the best possible outcomes for the children in their care. </p>
<p>If you haven’t already, contact your child’s school or teacher. </p>
<p>The best solutions are usually reached when parents and teachers can work as a team to understand and help children who are unhappy or struggling. </p>
<h2>Understanding why school feels like such a struggle</h2>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="A young girl sits in a chair with her head in her hands." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539873/original/file-20230727-80595-zhf6cg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539873/original/file-20230727-80595-zhf6cg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539873/original/file-20230727-80595-zhf6cg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539873/original/file-20230727-80595-zhf6cg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539873/original/file-20230727-80595-zhf6cg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539873/original/file-20230727-80595-zhf6cg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539873/original/file-20230727-80595-zhf6cg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If a child is unhappy at school, the cause may be academic or social or a combination of both.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Liza Summer/Pexels</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are many different aspects to school. Students need to manage academic work, peer interactions as well as their own behaviour and emotions in the classroom and playground. </p>
<p>To figure out how best to support your child, you will need to work with them and their teacher(s) to develop a good understanding of exactly what it is about school that is hard. </p>
<p>Maybe they are confused in maths lessons, maybe they are having problems with their friends or maybe your child is <a href="https://theconversation.com/theres-a-lot-of-places-where-you-cant-be-seen-how-bullying-can-be-invisible-to-adults-195926">experiencing bullying</a>. Often it will be a combination of factors. </p>
<p>Anxiety is <a href="https://theconversation.com/back-to-school-blues-are-normal-so-how-can-you-tell-if-its-something-more-serious-198671">often the big emotion</a> behind children’s struggles with school. If this is the case for your child, your child may benefit from learning about how to manage anxiety (there are evidence-based <a href="https://www.triplep-parenting.net.au/au/free-parenting-courses/fear-less-triple-p-online/?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwq4imBhBQEiwA9Nx1BhJOoyFH582uBcPETx2VAgbgRCy4QkH2WEiPusg5u7lc7bbmgW9QEhoCzD8QAvD_BwE#au-parents-register-now">free online programs</a>). </p>
<p>Another important factor to consider is the “goodness-of-fit” between your child’s strengths and abilities and the school they are attending. </p>
<p>Maybe you set your heart on your child attending a particular school (perhaps one that has a reputation for academic or sporting excellence). Maybe you enrolled them as soon as they were born. But is this emphasis right for your child? </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/you-cant-fix-school-refusal-with-tough-love-but-these-steps-might-help-199095">You can't fix school refusal with 'tough love' but these steps might help</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Are there skills or supports your child needs?</h2>
<p>Once you’ve identified the aspect(s) of school that are presenting challenges for your child, think about whether there are skills they can be helped to develop to manage these more effectively. </p>
<p>This might include learning how to manage frustration when things don’t go their way, or how to respond assertively, rather than being aggressive when they are challenged,. </p>
<p>There might be supports that can be put in place by the school to help, such as extra learning support. Speak to your child’s teacher if you are concerned they might be being picked on and see if you can work collaboratively to address the problem.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1640829012841840640"}"></div></p>
<h2>Is changing schools going to help?</h2>
<p>Once you feel like you understand your child’s challenges at school, it’s important to ask yourself: “how likely is it that their specific situation is going to be improved by changing schools?”</p>
<p>Keep in mind too the message you may be unintentionally communicating to your child by changing schools – we want to avoid reinforcing avoidance of anxiety-provoking situations that are manageable with the right support. </p>
<p>Also keep in mind that, apart from home, school is the place that children spend the most time. This means that it is likely that sometimes, children’s distress at school is influenced by factors that aren’t necessarily caused by school. This could include <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-think-my-child-has-anxiety-what-are-the-treatment-options-199098">mental health issues</a> that are not specifically related to school or worries about the family’s financial situation.</p>
<h2>A fresh start</h2>
<p>Sometimes, despite everyone’s best intentions and efforts, there might come a point where it’s time to acknowledge a challenging situation at school is not changing. And a child’s mental health and wellbeing is being negatively impacted. If this is the case, a fresh start at a new school may be the best option.</p>
<p>One way to explain it to your child could be to say something like</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I believe in you. With your teachers, we’ve tried our best, but this school isn’t the best fit for you and now it’s time for a fresh start.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Leaving one school for another one doesn’t represent a failure. Rather, it represents a change in direction based on the available information. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/school-attendance-rates-are-dropping-we-need-to-ask-students-why-200537">School attendance rates are dropping. We need to ask students why</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210480/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>I am the first author of the Fear-Less Triple P program linked to in this article. The online program is freely available to Australian parents.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julie Hodges does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Most young people will have patches during their school career where it feels hard. Sometimes this will lead families to ask whether a new school is the best option.Vanessa Cobham, Professor of Clinical Psychology, The University of QueenslandJulie Hodges, Post doctoral research fellow, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2071962023-06-19T19:56:21Z2023-06-19T19:56:21ZChronic sexual misconduct in Canada’s military is a national security threat<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532270/original/file-20230615-15-uazzaw.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C15%2C5042%2C3026&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Defence Minister Anita Anand and Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre take questions from the media in January 2023 in Ottawa. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source"> THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-taking-canadas-armed-forces-so-long-to-tackle-sexual-misconduct-196869">has a serious problem when it comes to sexual violence</a>.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/national/defence-watch/canadian-special-forces-leaders-warned-about-untouchable-soldiers-who-have-escaped-punishment-for-wrongdoing/wcm/0c9056dd-7498-46b3-a6a5-bd2b88caf774/amp/">a recent report</a>, the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM), an elite branch of the Canadian Armed Forces, has exposed a troubling culture of reticence and double standards when it comes to addressing misconduct. </p>
<p>According to internal reviews conducted for senior leadership, certain elite groups within the command enjoy immunity, are shielded from accountability and are protected from the consequences of serious issues of misconduct. </p>
<p>Take for example the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/military-sexual-assault-1.6004040">sexual assault conviction of Maj. Jonathan Hamilton</a> involving retired Logistics Officer Annalise Schamuhn, the wife of retired special forces Maj. Kevin Schamuhn, who both had the courage to speak publicly about their story.</p>
<p>A judge found Hamilton guilty on six criminal counts in 2017, including unlawfully entering the Schamuhn residence and sexually assaulting Annalise Schamuhn on two separate occasions. Prior to sentencing, Maj.-Gen. Peter Dawe, a deputy commander in Kevin Schamuhn’s chain of command, submitted letters to the court in support of Hamilton.</p>
<p>In a CBC interview, Kevin Schamuhn said that when he confronted Dawe about it, Dawe admitted wanting to influence Hamilton’s sentence because he believed Hamilton was a “good guy” who deserved leniency. </p>
<p>When news of Dawe’s actions came to light four years later, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/special-forces-commander-on-leave-1.6011036">he was relieved of his command</a> and placed on paid leave.</p>
<p>But not long after, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/peter-dawe-sexual-misconduct-review-1.6199670">Dawe was quietly reinstated</a> and appointed to help lead the CAF response to sexual misconduct reviews, further calling into question the integrity of the CAF complaint process and eroding trust within the ranks.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man in a beige beret and military uniform speaks into a microphone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532274/original/file-20230615-19-cgg175.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532274/original/file-20230615-19-cgg175.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532274/original/file-20230615-19-cgg175.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532274/original/file-20230615-19-cgg175.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=438&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532274/original/file-20230615-19-cgg175.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=550&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532274/original/file-20230615-19-cgg175.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=550&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532274/original/file-20230615-19-cgg175.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=550&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Incoming commander of CANSOFCOM, Maj.-Gen. Peter Dawe, speaks at a Canadian Special Operations Forces Command change of command ceremony in Ottawa in April 2018.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Untouchable soldiers</h2>
<p>It’s clear from this case and others that <a href="https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/canadian-special-forces-leaders-warned-about-untouchable-soldiers-who-have-escaped-punishment-for-wrongdoing">CANSOFCOM promotes a repressive culture</a> whereby the offender is often supported while the victim is forgotten or blamed.</p>
<p>Speaking up against injustice in the CAF can lead to harsh repercussions, producing an environment of secrets, stagnation and continuing consequences. CANSOFCOM’s mission statement includes <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/special-operations-forces-command/corporate/cansofcom-command-culture-statement.html">the “relentless pursuit of excellence</a>” but that doesn’t seem to apply when it comes to workplace violence.</p>
<p>This toxic culture is a longstanding problem. The Canadian government set aside approximately $800 million in 2019 to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/18/world/canada/military-sexual-misconduct-class-action.html">resolve class-action sexual assault lawsuits</a> launched by serving and retired military personnel. In fact, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sexual-misconduct-military-survey-1.3868377">more than a quarter of female members</a> in the CAF have reported sexual assault. </p>
<p>The CAF’s inability to exercise effective leadership and maintain focus is a serious obstacle to bringing about lasting change. </p>
<p>Defence Minister Anita Anand has pledged to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/anita-anand-arbour-justice-1.6236969">“take on” bad behaviour</a>, but it’s clear that promise has yet to be fulfilled. In 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that the “<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/military-doesnt-get-it-sexual-misconduct-1.6201648">CAF just doesn’t get it</a>” when it comes to sexual misconduct in its ranks, but he has since been mute on the subject. </p>
<p>Cultural improvements have yet to be achieved, even after <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/conduct-and-culture/sexual-misconduct-apology.html">Anand’s 2022 public apology</a> to a CAF member over abuse in the ranks, the transfer of sexual misconduct cases to civilian tribunals and the creation of the CAF’s Sexual Misconduct Response Centre and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/operation-honour-dnd-military-brewster-1.5779927">Operation HONOUR</a> that aims to combat sexual misconduct. That initiative still appears to be struggling to execute its mission.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman in a red coat with dark hair is seen from behind as she waves at a patrol ship in a harbour." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/458718/original/file-20220419-20-2cebpo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/458718/original/file-20220419-20-2cebpo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/458718/original/file-20220419-20-2cebpo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/458718/original/file-20220419-20-2cebpo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/458718/original/file-20220419-20-2cebpo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/458718/original/file-20220419-20-2cebpo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/458718/original/file-20220419-20-2cebpo.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Defence Minister Anita Anand waves as HMCS Halifax departs Halifax in support of NATO in eastern Europe in March 2022.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>End the silence</h2>
<p>It’s time to end the silence. Trudeau, Anand and CAF leaders have the opportunity to lead the way when it comes to addressing issues of workplace bullying, harassment and sexual abuse in the organization. So why aren’t they?</p>
<p>These issues constitute real and immediate threats to our national security because they fracture trust and safety among those tasked with protecting Canada. These threats are coming from within the ranks. The <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sexual-misconduct-canadian-forces-vance-mcdonald-1.5980394">endemic CAF culture of victim blaming</a> falls short of the basic principles of decency, honour and justice — and it’s time for real action. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532230/original/file-20230615-17-59m26q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman with brown hair and glasses adjusts her earpiece while sitting at a table." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532230/original/file-20230615-17-59m26q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532230/original/file-20230615-17-59m26q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532230/original/file-20230615-17-59m26q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532230/original/file-20230615-17-59m26q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532230/original/file-20230615-17-59m26q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532230/original/file-20230615-17-59m26q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532230/original/file-20230615-17-59m26q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Marie Deschamps attends a committee on the external review into sexual misconduct and sexual harassment in the Canadian Armed Forces in Ottawa in May 2015.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A multi-faceted strategy is needed to include victim aid, policy change, leadership responsibility and education like the one proposed by Marie Deschamps, <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/reports-publications/sexual-misbehaviour/external-review-2015.html">the former Supreme Court justice who was appointed to conduct one of the many reviews into sexual misconduct in the CAF.</a></p>
<p>To eradicate sexual assault, the CAF must commit to transformative leadership and emphasize the dignity, respect and equality of those who serve — not those who offend. </p>
<p>The principle of “see something, say something” must not lead to negative consequences for the victim. CAF members are asked to serve and sacrifice on the battlefield, so why can’t they be protected from each other?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sexual-misconduct-abuse-of-power-adultery-and-secrecy-what-i-witnessed-in-canadas-military-158345">Sexual misconduct, abuse of power, adultery and secrecy: What I witnessed in Canada’s military</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Public health issue</h2>
<p>Workplace violence is <a href="https://theconversation.com/workplace-bullying-should-be-treated-as-a-public-health-issue-190330">a public health issue</a>. The <a href="https://escipub.com/Articles/IJPRR/IJPRR-2020-01-1205.pdf">consequences of bullying, harassment and sexualized violence </a> at work have serious impacts on the physical and mental health of victims. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/workplace-bullying-should-be-treated-as-a-public-health-issue-190330">Workplace bullying should be treated as a public health issue</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Meaningful and effective intervention is a necessary step in combating these issues, but to do so effectively, change needs to start at the top.</p>
<p>Perhaps it’s time for Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, to take on workplace violence. Tam is someone who gets things done. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led Canada’s public health response and ensured widespread public health measures were put in place to save lives. </p>
<p>The mandate of the Public Health Agency of Canada includes <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health.html">identifying health risks to Canadians</a> — and workplace violence falls squarely within this purview as a threat to the health and well-being of all Canadians.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207196/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jason Walker is affiliated with the Liberal Party of Canada (Member). </span></em></p>The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has a serious problem with sexual violence. The military’s chronic and unresolved toxic culture puts the country’s national security at risk.Jason Walker, Associate Professor, Graduate Studies, Leadership and People Management, University Canada WestLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2052862023-05-10T00:30:55Z2023-05-10T00:30:55ZIncreased mental health awareness is one thing – but New Zealanders need greater mental health literacy too<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525024/original/file-20230509-29-fiq7oo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=20%2C10%2C6669%2C3680&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Something is not working in our approach to mental health in Aotearoa New Zealand. According to <a href="https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/new-zealanders-mental-wellbeing-declines/">Statistics New Zealand</a>, more than a quarter of the population can be described as having poor mental wellbeing, and this proportion is increasing.</p>
<p>Problems are particularly prevalent in young people, with 23.6% of those aged 15-24 years reporting high or very high levels of psychological distress, according to the 2021/22 <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/annual-update-key-results-2021-22-new-zealand-health-survey">New Zealand Health Survey</a> – up from only 5.1% in the 2011/12 report.</p>
<p>There are many likely (and familiar) contributing factors, including COVID-19 and the associated social disruption, stress due to the rising cost of living, and inequity and marginalisation on the basis of identity.</p>
<p>Other plausible factors include existential concern over the climate crisis, overburdened and underpaid teachers, social media and the crumbing mental health system.</p>
<p>But there is a less obvious factor that may conceivably be contributing to the mental health crisis, particularly in young people: the paradoxical effects of heightened mental health awareness.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1544200897374617600"}"></div></p>
<h2>Defining the problem</h2>
<p>Young people are more aware than ever of mental illness, largely due to explicit efforts in recent decades to raise awareness about mental health and mental disorders, including through the reach of social media.</p>
<p>But some <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0732118X2300003X#:%7E:text=https%3A//doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2023.101010">recent research</a> has questioned whether this increased awareness is as beneficial as it may first seem. While greater awareness can mean “more accurate reporting of previously under-recognised symptoms”, it may also cause “some individuals to interpret and report milder forms of distress as mental health problems”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/road-to-nowhere-new-zealanders-struggle-to-get-the-help-they-need-2-years-on-from-a-funding-boost-for-mental-health-services-158868">Road to nowhere: New Zealanders struggle to get the help they need, 2 years on from a funding boost for mental health services</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>People may then seek professional help, as they have been advised to do, but find such help is often unavailable. This in turn can lead to a very real increase in distress. And it may discourage more traditional and less clinical forms of coping such as talking with friends and family or making positive lifestyle changes.</p>
<p>It is also plausible that greater awareness and acceptance of mental health difficulties may lead people to see those issues as an inevitable part of who they are – as simply part of their brain chemistry. </p>
<p>Such a view could result in the loss of a sense of personal agency over psychological challenges, creating a sense of hopelessness about the possibility of positive change.</p>
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<h2>Mental health and identity</h2>
<p>None of this is entirely surprising. The notion of “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10463283.2020.1796080">concept creep</a>” has been used to describe “the gradual semantic expansion of harm-related concepts such as bullying, mental disorder, prejudice, and trauma”.</p>
<p>Consider how terms such as “trauma” and “bullying” have grown in usage but become less specific in meaning as topics of public conversation. Anecdotally, this is what we seem to be seeing with public understanding of mental disorder – including the assumption that mental health problems are simply part of someone’s identity.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-impact-of-childhood-and-teenage-anxiety-disorders-on-later-life-new-research-203370">The impact of childhood and teenage anxiety disorders on later life – new research</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>None of this suggests we should stop talking about such an important topic. Rather, we need to think very critically about how we talk about mental health and mental disorder – shifting from thinking in terms of mental health <em>awareness</em> to mental health <em>literacy</em>.</p>
<p>This means discussing what does count as a mental health problem – and also what doesn’t. For example, some people clearly experience genuinely problematic levels of anxiety. But, at the same time, anxiety is a normal and healthy human emotion. Where exactly do we draw the line?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-climate-anxiety-a-clinical-diagnosis-should-it-be-202232">Is 'climate anxiety' a clinical diagnosis? Should it be?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Personal agency and hope</h2>
<p>To answer questions like this we need to really understand what we mean by the concept of “mental disorder” in the first place. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525032/original/file-20230509-15-lqko0q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525032/original/file-20230509-15-lqko0q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=845&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525032/original/file-20230509-15-lqko0q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=845&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525032/original/file-20230509-15-lqko0q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=845&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525032/original/file-20230509-15-lqko0q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1062&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525032/original/file-20230509-15-lqko0q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1062&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525032/original/file-20230509-15-lqko0q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1062&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Exploring how we should best think about mental disorders, why they count as disorder, and how we might best seek to explain them, is the central topic of my new book: <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-29164-7">Embodied, Embedded, and Enactive Psychopathology: Reimagining Mental Disorder</a>.</p>
<p>The book proposes a new way of approaching this complex but vital topic. It acknowledges mental disorders are influenced by factors across the brain, body and environment. However, it also preserves a sense of agency and hope – seeing mental health problems as things we can have influence over.</p>
<p>The question of how we should best think about mental disorder is more than simply an academic or philosophical quandary. It has very real implications for health policy, for what our systems of care should look like and for how individuals understand the mental health challenges they or their loved ones may face.</p>
<p>Ultimately, how we think about mental disorder matters a great deal.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205286/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kristopher Nielsen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Has greater awareness of mental health issues also caused more people to interpret milder forms of distress as something worse? Better understanding of mental health disorder in general might help.Kristopher Nielsen, Adjunct Research Fellow and Clinical Psychologist, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of WellingtonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2046002023-05-03T15:07:36Z2023-05-03T15:07:36ZHow to find out if your company has a toxic culture and if it supports victims of workplace bullying<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523902/original/file-20230502-757-34csoy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C67%2C4120%2C2541&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/stressed-businesspeople-sitting-front-two-colleagues-1403763239">Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When people speak out about poor treatment at work, it should be taken seriously. This has been happening a lot in the UK recently. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/met/about-us/baroness-casey-review/update-march-2023/baroness-casey-review-march-2023a.pdf">Baroness Casey Review</a> into the Metropolitan Police reported <a href="https://www.itv.com/watch/news/casey-report-into-met-police-five-shocking-key-findings/ybywhhz">widespread bullying and harassment</a>. Business lobby group the Confederation of British Industry has also announced a major overhaul after employees blew the whistle on its <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/apr/03/revealed-new-claims-of-sexual-misconduct-and-toxic-culture-at-cbi">toxic culture</a>, following multiple reports of sexual misconduct. </p>
<p>And deputy prime minister Dominic Raab resigned after being <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/dominic-raab-resigns-the-key-findings-from-the-bullying-investigation-that-sealed-his-fate-12861896">investigated over reports of bullying behaviour</a> towards civil servants. </p>
<p>While attitudes to workplace behaviour have changed over the years, making sure employees feel well treated is important. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2012.734709">Research has shown</a> that workplace bullying has an incredibly damaging impact on people’s mental and physical health, causing <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03069880410001723558">high levels of distress and even post-traumatic stress disorder</a> among some victims. </p>
<p>My colleagues and I wanted to determine the factors that limit the impact of workplace bullying on people’s wellbeing to establish how to help these victims. We reviewed existing research across 56 studies that looked at such factors as the personality traits of targets of bullying, the amount of social support they receive, and the “climate” or culture of their organisations.</p>
<p>It is often assumed that certain personality traits such as resilience or coping strategies like avoidance and confrontation can protect people from the ill effects of workplace bullying. But <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2023.2169968">we found that</a> the most helpful factors for victims are social support from colleagues and a workplace that prioritises employee wellbeing over job performance. </p>
<p>Other research shows that organisations with such priorities tend to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2017.1380626">do three things</a> to limit workplace bullying. Most simply, they make it clear through policies, training, and communications that bullying is not accepted within the organisation. </p>
<p>They also design jobs to reduce factors linked to conflict such as role conflict and role ambiguity. And they have clear policies and procedures in place to ensure that any conflicts are handled fairly and do not escalate into bullying. </p>
<p>Organisations that are serious about addressing bullying should therefore have a “no tolerance” approach, create fair procedures for conflict resolution, and reduce unhealthy job characteristics such as role conflict or lack of employee control over their daily working lives. As well as helping those targeted by bullying, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2017.1380626">there is evidence to show</a> that these kinds of policies can prevent new bullying cases from developing. </p>
<h2>Searching for signs of a toxic workplace</h2>
<p>Whether you’re thinking about taking a new job or want to make sure your company’s culture is up to scratch, this information could help you make a decision about your job. </p>
<p>To identify whether an organisation has a healthy working climate, think about whether it would prioritise your health over your performance. You can do this by looking at, for example, expectations around responding to work messages outside of working hours.</p>
<p>You could also find information on how the organisation responds – or plans to respond – to bullying complaints. Look for clues that a complaint will be taken seriously by reading the bullying and harassment policy, which is often online. </p>
<p>How will a bullying complaint will be managed? For example, is there a reasonable – or any – timeline set for handling such complaints?</p>
<p>Finally, look for evidence that senior leaders in the organisation take matters relating to employee wellbeing seriously and that they actively communicate this to staff. Unfortunately, organisations are unlikely to volunteer such details in an impartial way, but talking to current or former employees may provide a more objective picture, if not simply a different side to the story. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People in smart casual clothing in a circle, shoulders down, hands gesturing." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523903/original/file-20230502-4095-j5x0c8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523903/original/file-20230502-4095-j5x0c8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523903/original/file-20230502-4095-j5x0c8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523903/original/file-20230502-4095-j5x0c8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523903/original/file-20230502-4095-j5x0c8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523903/original/file-20230502-4095-j5x0c8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/523903/original/file-20230502-4095-j5x0c8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Building a positive working culture.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sharing-ideas-close-view-diverse-people-1849638520">fizkes/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>You may find that instances of unfair working practices have been called out <a href="https://news.stv.tv/scotland/staff-experienced-toxic-work-culture-at-scotlands-national-contact-centre-during-covid-pandemic">in the news</a> or on social media. Look at <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jun/10/brewdog-staff-craft-beer-firm-letter">how the organisation handled this at the time</a> and ask them – and other employees – about how the responses or resulting initiatives have been sustained over time.</p>
<p>If a company’s toxic work culture has been outed already, it must now make an effort to turn things around. These high-profile cases may also persuade other organisations of the importance of preventing bullying before it occurs – and of supporting those who raise concerns about workplace culture.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204600/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>I am a joint recipient of a British Academy Small Grant on workplace cyberbullying and currently receive funding from Malmo University to undertake research on work-related cyberaggression. </span></em></p>Companies can curb bullying bosses and support victims, but will yours?Samuel Farley, Senior Lecturer in Work Psychology, University of SheffieldLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2042062023-04-21T13:08:35Z2023-04-21T13:08:35ZDominic Raab is right that the government has set a ‘dangerous precedent’ – but not for the reasons he thinks<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522155/original/file-20230420-16-nsu998.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=45%2C9%2C5978%2C4317&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption"></span> </figcaption></figure><p>Dominic Raab has resigned as deputy prime minister and secretary of state for justice following an investigation of accusations that he bullied civil servants. </p>
<p>However, his resignation letter contained no apology and barely any admission of guilt. He instead said that he felt “duty bound” to accept the findings of the investigation against him but that he believes they were “flawed and set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government”.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1649334236216713219"}"></div></p>
<p>And yet while the report cleared Raab of intentionally targeting staff, it found that he had acted “abrasively” towards civil servants and in a way that was intimidating. Overall, the report paints a picture of a demanding secretary of state who routinely interrogated staff about their work without much thought for how they would be affected. It stated:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The combination of unconstructive critical feedback and regular
interruption is likely to be experienced as intimidating, in the sense of
being unreasonably difficult to deal with, and plainly was so experienced by some individuals. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Adam Tolley, the lawyer who put the report together, noted that Raab has “been able to regulate this level of abrasiveness” since the allegations were made public and ought to have done so sooner. </p>
<h2>Delay and denial</h2>
<p>The civil servants who came forward about Raab have not been afforded the same treatment as employees in any private company in the UK have the right to expect. </p>
<p>The investigation into Raab’s conduct was launched in November 2022 – more than five months ago. It has therefore taken far longer to get to the bottom of this situation than would be <a href="https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/impacts/addressing-workplace-bullying-and-harassment-building-systems-com">the norm in any other workplace</a>.</p>
<p>In the meantime, staff have had to continue to work with Raab. It was decided fairly early on that he would not be suspended from his position while Tolley looked into the complaints against him. </p>
<p>It is not standard practice to allow someone facing multiple credible accusations of bullying to continue to work with more junior colleagues while the claims are being considered. Civil servants have been left with the message that their negative experiences at work come second to Raab’s political career.</p>
<h2>Politics over principle</h2>
<p>Discussion around Raab’s fate has been consistently tied to his loyalty to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and whether the Conservative party can survive another scandal. The decision on how to sanction Raab ultimately came down to the prime minister, who appears to have spent months making political calculations on the matter, implying that he was looking for a reason not to take action. </p>
<p>Raab has displayed immense loyalty to Sunak, continuing to back him for the leadership of the Conservative Party in the summer of 2022 even when it became patently clear that his rival Liz Truss was on course to win the contest. But these factors should never have played a part in decisions around Raab’s professional conduct towards civil servants. </p>
<p>The UK government has a duty of care to the health and wellbeing of its employees, who should be able to expect a fair process that is entirely separate from the political pressures being faced by the party of government or the personal patronage of the accused. </p>
<p>Sunak’s personal conflicts of interest have manifestly played a part in how the decisions around Raab were made, from the length of time it took to investigate to the delay in publishing Tolley’s findings, even after Raab’s resignation letter was made public. This would not be acceptable in a private sector organisation.</p>
<h2>Collateral damage</h2>
<p>The result of these delays and the way the allegations have been handled will have lasting consequences for government staff, who cannot have been left feeling confident that their experiences have be taken seriously or dealt with effectively, even if the end result was, eventually, Raab’s departure. This is not conducive to a healthy and efficient work environment.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/238318210_Bullying_is_detrimental_to_health_but_all_bullying_behaviours_are_not_necessarily_equally_damaging">large-scale study of more than 5,000 people</a> across the UK, my colleagues and I found that bullying in the workplace left victims not only feeling unhappy and insecure while at work but with a higher chance of increased drug and excessive alcohol usage and relationship difficulties in their personal lives. </p>
<p>And if their own experiences are not enough for these matters to be taken seriously, their victimisation has a negative impact for their employers too. Bullied staff take more sick days than the average worker and are less productive. </p>
<p>We also found that it is not only direct victims that suffer in a workplace where bullying takes place. Witnesses to the bullying and people who have been previously victimised but are not the subject of current bullying also take more sick leave than average. A ripple effect is evident when people at the top abuse their power.</p>
<p>Given the nature of Raab’s departure, current and future victims of ministerial bullying can hardly be reassured that their suffering will be taken seriously if they ever feel brave enough to speak out against their bosses.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204206/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cary Cooper does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Report found deputy PM to have been abrasive and intimidating to civil servants who have waited months for action to be taken.Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health, University of ManchesterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1957162023-03-28T19:21:46Z2023-03-28T19:21:46ZOur new study provides a potential breakthrough on school bullying<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516883/original/file-20230322-26-6dyr8m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C44%2C5867%2C3776&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Your child comes home from school and tells you three classmates are teasing her constantly. One even put chewed gum in her hair as she was listening to the teacher. The other two smiled, laughed and whooped. </p>
<p>Hearing this, you understand your child is being bullied and their physical and mental wellbeing are under attack. </p>
<p>We know bullying is <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1745691622111291">widespread</a>: 30% of adolescents experience bullying, and almost all see it happening. It can devastate victims and lead to depression, anxiety and self-harm. </p>
<p>We are educational psychologists researching how to prevent bullying. And how, in a different scenario, these children could even be friends. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36701523/">new study</a>, published in American Psychology, trialled a new way of tackling bullying among students in South Korea. Instead of trying to change individuals’ behaviour, it puts the focus on how teachers can create an “anti-bullying climate” in their classes.</p>
<p>We believe this could be applied more broadly and provides a potential breakthough in approaches to this crisis. </p>
<h2>Previous bullying research</h2>
<p>For 50 years, educators have tried and failed to develop successful bullying-reduction programs. </p>
<p>In a recent <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/17456916221112919">journal article</a> we reviewed existing school anti-bullying research. The results were disappointing. In particular, we found a focus on changing individual students’ behaviour has been largely ineffective. </p>
<p>We know bystanders can play an important role in standing up to bullies. But this is a risky thing to do. If you stand up to a bully, you put yourself at risk of retaliation and peer rejection. So bystanders are <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/17456916221112919">reluctant to support</a> victims and discourage bullies. This is why individual approaches have not worked well. </p>
<p>This suggests we need to think more broadly about bullying and look at the social environment of the classroom to encourage more students to defend victims and defuse bullies. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/not-every-schools-anti-bullying-program-works-some-may-actually-make-bullying-worse-116163">Not every school's anti-bullying program works – some may actually make bullying worse</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>To develop a new approach to tackle bullying, in a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36701523/">separate study</a> we looked at 24 experienced, full-time physical education teachers in Seoul. The group included both male and female teachers, teaching adolescent students. </p>
<p>For each teacher, we looked at two different classes, so there were 48 classes in total and 1,178 students. </p>
<p>The teachers were randomly assigned into two groups over an 18-week semester. One group was given a new approach to bullying to try, called “autonomy-supportive teaching”, while the other had no intervention. </p>
<h2>What is autonomy-supportive teaching?</h2>
<p>The idea behind <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220973.2016.1277336">autonomy-supportive teaching</a> is to prevent bullying by cultivating a caring, egalitarian classroom that minimises hierarchy, conflict and “me-vs-you” competition. </p>
<p>The teacher sets the tone in the classroom and they can foster an anti-bullying climate when they: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>take the students’ perspective</p></li>
<li><p>use an understanding tone when interacting with students </p></li>
<li><p>provide an explanatory rationale for each request, and </p></li>
<li><p>acknowledge and accept students’ negative feelings if they occur.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Research <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc%20.2019.101223">has shown</a> when teachers do these things, students view teachers as “on their side”. This sense of being listened to and supported by the teacher then spills over to more supportive peer-to-peer relationships. Students then tend to support each other, and interpersonal conflict is low. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A teacher speaks to students working on laptops." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/517545/original/file-20230327-24-74lff8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/517545/original/file-20230327-24-74lff8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/517545/original/file-20230327-24-74lff8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/517545/original/file-20230327-24-74lff8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/517545/original/file-20230327-24-74lff8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/517545/original/file-20230327-24-74lff8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/517545/original/file-20230327-24-74lff8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Under ‘autonomy-supportive teaching’, teachers try to cultivate an egalitarian, respectful classroom.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What happened in our study?</h2>
<p>The teachers in our first group were asked to participate in an eight-hour
autonomy-supportive teaching workshop at the start of semester. The teachers in the second group had no intervention from us, and approached their classes as they normally would. </p>
<p>Students in both groups were then surveyed at three points in the semester, asking them questions about the classroom climate. </p>
<p>Students were asked both how their teacher behaved and how they felt about their classmates. For example, they were asked to agree or disagree with statements including: “My teacher listens to how I would like to do things” and “My classmates try to understand how I see things”.</p>
<p>They were also asked about bystander behaviour and bullying, with questions such as: “I do something to help if I see a kid being called nasty names or threatened” and “In this class I was called names I didn’t like”.</p>
<h2>Our findings</h2>
<p>Using statistical analysis, we first tested whether teachers in group one followed the autonomy-supportive model as they were taught in the workshop. We found that they did.</p>
<p>We then tested whether students reported their classmates were supportive (as you would expect if the teacher was following the workshop’s advice), and also found they did. </p>
<p>We then tested whether students in this group were more likely to stand up for other students and less likely to experience bullying than those in group two (who did not follow the autonomy-supportive model). </p>
<p>Again, we found they were more likely to stand up to bullying and less likely to experience it. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/theres-a-lot-of-places-where-you-cant-be-seen-how-bullying-can-be-invisible-to-adults-195926">'There's a lot of places where you can’t be seen': how bullying can be invisible to adults</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Next steps</h2>
<p>Our study showed how programs that change classroom climates can minimise bullying. </p>
<p>We are now hoping to extend our research in Australian school settings. We plan to scale up our program through online delivery. </p>
<p>This way, we can reach a larger, more diverse sample of schools, including those in remote locations.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195716/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Herb Marsh receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Johnmarshall Reeve receives funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH, USA).</span></em></p>Instead of trying to change individual’s behaviour, a new study puts the focus on how teachers can create an “anti-bullying climate” in their classes.Herb Marsh, Distinguished Professor of educational psychology, Australian Catholic UniversityJohnmarshall Reeve, Professor, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2020812023-03-27T09:34:57Z2023-03-27T09:34:57ZDominic Raab’s defence against bullying claims is that he is always ‘professional’ – but that doesn’t stack up<p>Is Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, a bully? This is what Adam Tolley KC, the barrister leading the <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1119738/2022.11.23_Terms_of_Reference_-_Investigation.pdf">investigation into Raab’s behaviour towards civil servants</a>, is attempting to find out. Is Raab simply a tough boss who sets high, “professional” standards for his team? Or does he make unreasonable demands of colleagues and humiliate those who fail to fulfil them?</p>
<p>Raab has said he can’t comment in detail while Tolley’s review is ongoing but has responded to the accusations by repeatedly asserting that he has acted <a href="https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2022-11-16b.649.0">“professionally”</a> at all times. Speaking in more detail about his behaviour towards staff, Raab has <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/dominic-raab-government-deputy-prime-minister-justice-secretary-nadhim-zahawi-b2266556.html">said</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think what people want to know is that their government ministers are striving every sinew to deliver for them and I make no apologies for having high standards, for trying to drive things forward.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So not a bully but just a professional with high standards.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dominic-raab-claims-are-more-akin-to-abusive-supervision-than-bullying-199334">Dominic Raab claims are more akin to 'abusive supervision' than bullying</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In citing professionalism as an excuse, Raab has placed the concept at the heart of this story. What does it mean to be professional? The sociology of the professions has a <a href="https://bit.ly/3JyNzXL">long and distinguished history</a>, and in recent years management scholars have revived and updated this field of <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-handbook-of-professional-service-firms-9780199682393?cc=gb&lang=en&">research</a>. Professions scholarship is primarily concerned with understanding how occupations gain and defend their professional status, analysing the justification (or lack of justification) for the exceptional <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1988-97883-000">rewards accruing from that status</a>.</p>
<h2>Defining professionalism</h2>
<p>As the research literature has evolved, theories of the professions have shifted from questions of structure and function to focus on power and privilege, culminating in the contemporary <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cars.12364">preoccupation with process and practice</a>.</p>
<p>Through these shifting sands of scholarship, two consistent elements emerge. First, that extended training is required to develop specialist expertise and reach advanced qualification. From this “occupational closure” comes the ability to exclude others from the profession and <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Professions-and-Power-Routledge-Revivals/Johnson/p/book/9781138203563">charge a premium for services</a>.</p>
<p>And second, ethical standards, which are an integral component of a professional’s extended apprenticeship and formal qualifications. From this training comes the traditional right to self-regulate within the professions. At least in the past, professionals were able to <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo5958556.html">maintain their monopolistic position</a> free from external regulation.</p>
<p>Underpinning both these elements comes trust. Clients entrust professionals with their most complex problems in the expectation that they will deliver exceptional quality work to the highest possible standards. To call someone “professional” may simply mean that you think they can be trusted to do high-quality work.</p>
<p>It is worth noting that there is nothing in the definition of the term “professional” about working exceptionally long hours or pushing yourself and your staff to the limit.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-bullying-in-politics-is-a-matter-of-democracy-194686">Why bullying in politics is a matter of democracy</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>But in equating high standards and long hours with professionalism, Raab is perhaps taking his cue from his early experiences in the City legal environment. In recent decades, the concepts of professionalism and commercialism have become blended in elite professional service firms. In this context, the goal of delighting the client by delivering the highest quality service to exceptionally demanding deadlines can translate into some fairly ferocious working practices. Indeed, the damaging consequences of overwork have become an important theme of professional service firm scholarship in recent years.</p>
<h2>Are politicians professionals?</h2>
<p>But Raab is now a politician – and they are not really “professionals” according to the criteria set out above. They do not have extended training in a specialised area of expertise. They are, in fact, expected to be generalists. And there are no barriers to entry because anyone can run for election – though of course there can be high barriers to getting elected to become an MP.</p>
<p>Nor are politicians socialised into a commonly understood set of ethical standards. On the contrary, there is enormous variation in how they behave and what they consider appropriate. In recent years, there have been many highly publicised, gross ethical breaches which have led to attempts to create and enforce ethical standards. While professionals these days can expect to be asked to comply with externally set standards, politicians remain essentially self-regulating.</p>
<p>Of course, Raab may not really be using the word “professional” in this precise way. Rather, he is associating it with a level of hard work and high standards. But surely Raab does not believe that professionals are unique in their commitment to these.</p>
<p>Raab appears to be seeking to justify tough and perhaps at times abrasive behaviour as simply being a sign that he takes his work seriously and that he expects others to do so the same. But with the exception of the former home secretary <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/937010/Findings_of_the_Independent_Adviser.pdf">Priti Patel</a>, no other minister in recent times – no matter how demanding they are – has been formally accused of bullying. Michael Gove, for example, is famously demanding of his staff but has not been accused of bullying.</p>
<p>When you call someone “professional” you are saying that you trust them to do an excellent job and to behave with the utmost integrity. It never has been, and never should be, used as an excuse for bad or questionable behaviour.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202081/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Empson has received a series of research grants from the Economic and Social Research Council of Great Britain for her research into professionals and professional work. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stefan Stern does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The deputy prime minister insists he just has high expectations of his staff but that is not what ‘professionalism’ really means.Laura Empson, Professor in the Management of Professional Service Firms, Bayes Business School, City, University of LondonStefan Stern, Visiting Professor of Management Practice, Bayes Business School, City, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1992472023-03-01T13:28:25Z2023-03-01T13:28:25ZSibling aggression and abuse go beyond rivalry – bullying within a family can have lifelong repercussions<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510723/original/file-20230216-28-r81b4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5200%2C3432&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Hurting a sibling is not the same thing as healthy rivalry.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/boy-grabbing-girls-arm-on-stairs-royalty-free-image/588312516">Glasshouse Images/The Image Bank via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Nearly <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2011/demo/p70-126.html">80% of U.S. children grow up with a sibling</a>. For many, brothers and sisters are life companions, close confidants and sharers of memories. But siblings also are natural competitors for parents’ attention. When brothers and sisters view parents’ love and attention as limited – or lopsided in favor of their sibling – rivalry may ensue. </p>
<p>Rivalry can motivate children to develop unique talents, abilities – such as in academics, sports or music – and other characteristics to gain their parents’ attention. Sometimes, however, rivalry can lead to jealousy and bickering – and too much of it can lead to aggression, bullying and even abuse and violence. </p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=chKAWywAAAAJ">We are</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=4NJRZ_AAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">researchers</a> who focus on sibling dynamics, parenting and mental health. Conflict among siblings is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838015622438">widely viewed as normal</a> but, in the past decade, a new body of research consistently shows that sibling aggression and abuse are far from harmless – and can have lifelong repercussions.</p>
<h2>Overlooking aggression</h2>
<p>Aggressive behavior is characterized by an intent to cause harm, including physical pain and humiliation. Many behaviors between siblings fit this definition. </p>
<p>In 2013, using data from over 1,700 U.S. children, we found <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.01.006">one-third of children under age 18 experienced</a> physical, property or psychological sibling victimization in the previous year. In fact, sibling aggression is the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.0676">most common form of family violence</a>, with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.0676">more children victimized by a sibling than by a caregiver</a>. It’s a form of family violence not talked about, despite its ubiquity.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511715/original/file-20230222-26-ttpy0g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Kids and a teacher in the hallway of a school making a no bullying sign." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511715/original/file-20230222-26-ttpy0g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511715/original/file-20230222-26-ttpy0g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511715/original/file-20230222-26-ttpy0g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511715/original/file-20230222-26-ttpy0g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511715/original/file-20230222-26-ttpy0g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511715/original/file-20230222-26-ttpy0g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511715/original/file-20230222-26-ttpy0g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">More and more schools have embraced anti-bullying programs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/campdarby/5690539312">Joyce Costello, USAG Livorno Public Affairs/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Great efforts have been aimed at <a href="https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/article-abstract/24/4/167/6527/Bullying-prevention-campaign-launched">reducing peer aggression</a>, better known as peer bullying. The negative <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/gr.6-5-50">consequences of peer bullying</a> are widely recognized. But a 2015 survey of 4,000 American children showed more are victimized over the course of a year <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.0676">by a sibling (21.8%) than by a peer (15.6%)</a>. </p>
<p>When peer bullying occurs, parents want it stopped – and experts encourage parents to talk with their children about what happened. Corrective action can include <a href="https://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/middle-school">helping the bully</a> develop understanding and empathy. </p>
<p>Yet, when the very same aggressive behaviors are displayed by siblings, they are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-013-9741-2">typically dismissed by parents</a> and <a href="https://doi.org//10.1007/s10896-015-9766-y">even by the victimized siblings themselves</a>. In fact, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Sibling-Abuse-Trauma-Assessment-and-Intervention-Strategies-for-Children/Caffaro/p/book/9780415506861">victim blaming often occurs</a>, in which the victimized sibling is faulted for angering the abusing sibling or being overly sensitive. </p>
<p>Confusion about the difference between rivalry and sibling aggression prevents people from recognizing it. Aggressive behaviors, such as pushing, hitting or breaking cherished personal items, go beyond mild conflicts or fleeting bickering. But parents often rationalize aggressive sibling behavior – it’s just rivalry, it’s normal, no one got hurt. Sometimes adults even think <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-013-9741-2">it’s good for kids’ development</a> to deal with aggressive behavior – that it <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-015-9766-y">makes them tougher</a>.</p>
<p>For some, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000087">sibling aggression can be chronic</a> and cross over to sibling abuse, which can leave physical or psychological injuries. Abuse involves objects, weapons, multiple tormentors or sexual assaults. About <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.01.006">4% of U.S. children</a> report that during incidents in which their sibling beat, kicked or punched them, they sustained an injury or a weapon was used. A widely held view is <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Sibling-Abuse-Trauma-Assessment-and-Intervention-Strategies-for-Children/Caffaro/p/book/9780415506861">aggression between siblings cannot be abuse</a>. But for a surprising number of children, it is. This false belief has led to many suffering in silence. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510728/original/file-20230216-22-5knoam.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A worried young woman in profile stressed out and unhappy." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510728/original/file-20230216-22-5knoam.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510728/original/file-20230216-22-5knoam.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510728/original/file-20230216-22-5knoam.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510728/original/file-20230216-22-5knoam.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510728/original/file-20230216-22-5knoam.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510728/original/file-20230216-22-5knoam.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510728/original/file-20230216-22-5knoam.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sibling aggression is linked with poor mental health.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/sadness-and-depression-women-stressed-out-at-home-royalty-free-image/1299892261">globalmoments/iStock via Getty Images</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Long term effects</h2>
<p>Sibling aggression is linked to worse mental and physical health across the life span of the perpetrators and victims. Both experience higher rates of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-3801">depression</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260514539760">substance use</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559517751670">delinquency</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-013-9741-2">and</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.09.007">sleeplessness</a>. Additionally, data shows <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-3801">just one incident of victimization</a> at the hands of a sibling is linked to worse mental health in childhood and adolescence.</p>
<p>Experiences of sibling aggression also influence other relationships. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-013-9741-2">Parent-child relationships</a> can suffer. Some victims may become <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12486">estranged from their sibling and parents</a>. Additionally, sibling aggression and victimization behavior is often reflected in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-018-0021-1">peer</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/088626099014008005">and</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.5993/ajhb.28.s1.3">dating relationships</a>. </p>
<h2>Origins of sibling aggression and abuse</h2>
<p>The cause of sibling aggression can be rooted in family dynamics. Parents may model negative behaviors that are then repeated by children. </p>
<p>Our research found parental conflicts, violence and harsh parenting <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000016">are all associated with</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000592">sibling victimization</a>. In another study, we showed family adversity – such as job loss, illness and death – was also associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000087">sibling aggression and abuse</a>. </p>
<p>Certain personality traits, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1348/026151009X479402">low empathy</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260514539763">and anger</a>, are also associated with being aggressive toward a sibling. </p>
<h2>Prevention and intervention</h2>
<p>Parents often want simply to stop the behavior and move on – or ignore it. However, this is a missed opportunity for teaching important social skills. To help children have positive relationships in their lives, parents should teach how to navigate conflicts in a healthy way.</p>
<p>When aggressive behavior occurs, parents should immediately interrupt it. Without taking sides, parents can help their children from a young age learn skills that lessen aggression, such as listening, seeing another person’s perspective, managing anger, negotiating and problem-solving. These important skills <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838015622438">reduce destructive conflict</a> and are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000833">associated with better mental health</a>. They also potentially stave off aggression in other kinds of relationships. </p>
<p>In cases of sibling abuse, teaching siblings conflict resolution skills is not appropriate. Engaging in mediation may further victimize the targeted child when there is a power imbalance and potential or actual serious harm present. Being <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Sibling-Abuse-Trauma-Assessment-and-Intervention-Strategies-for-Children/Caffaro/p/book/9780415506861">victimized and abused is not a form of rivalry</a>; it requires the family to seek help from a mental or physical health professional. </p>
<p>Research shows it’s time to change the commonplace idea that aggressive sibling dynamics are harmless. Caregivers should take these behaviors as seriously as they do peer bullying or other forms of family violence. Addressing sibling aggression and abuse can improve children’s mental and physical well-being – as well as the quality of their relationships, both inside and outside the family.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199247/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Corinna Tucker receives funding from Louis and Anne Abrons Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tanya Rouleau Whitworth works for the Sibling Aggression and Abuse Research and Advocacy Initiative (SAARA), which receives funding from the Louis and Anne Abrons Foundation.</span></em></p>All brothers and sisters have tensions or disagreements from time to time as they jockey for position in the family. But when one sibling victimizes another, there can be serious and ongoing harms.Corinna Jenkins Tucker, Senior Project Director, Sibling Aggression and Abuse Research and Advocacy Initiative (SAARA) at the Crimes Against Children Center, University of New HampshireTanya Rouleau Whitworth, Research Scientist at the Crimes against Children Research Center, University of New HampshireLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1976762023-02-20T13:20:19Z2023-02-20T13:20:19ZResearch on teen social media use has a racial bias – studies of white kids are widely taken to be universal<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510724/original/file-20230216-26-kwzkku.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C23%2C5123%2C3382&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">White teens and teens of color do not have identical online experiences.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/teenagers-laying-on-floor-using-technology-royalty-free-image/543195707">JGI/Jamie Grill/Tetra images via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Most research on teen social media use has been conducted on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444813520477">white teens</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650208321782">and college students</a>. As a result, it is unclear to what extent overlooked populations such as racial and ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities and other vulnerable adolescent populations may be using social media in different ways.</p>
<p>You may have read about research on teen social media use in newspapers or other media outlets, but you might not be aware of the limitations of that research. Rarely do press reports mention the details of the sample populations studied. Instead, they generalize research that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35665564/">is often based largely on white teens</a> to all youths.</p>
<p>What is missing, then, especially when it comes to teens of color? We are a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ZuHbDP0AAAAJ&hl=en">senior research scientist</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=PaaNZUwAAAAJ&hl=en">doctoral student</a> who study the benefits and challenges of <a href="https://www.wcwonline.org/Youth-Media-Wellbeing-Research-Lab/youth-media-wellbeing-research-lab">teen social technology and digital media use</a>. We and our colleague <a href="https://wellesley.academia.edu/RachelHodes">Rachel Hodes</a> recently published a <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/handbook-of-adolescent-digital-media-use-and-mental-health/marginalized-and-understudied-populations-using-digital-media/11A8E212846491FFEA02A32EAFDC401E">book chapter</a> on how marginalized and understudied populations use social media. </p>
<p>We found that commonly accepted portrayals of teens online distort or obscure the experiences of teens of color. These teens often have different online experiences, face different harms and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108976237.011">may be using social media to share and present</a> underrepresented aspects of themselves and their experiences.</p>
<h2>Particular harms</h2>
<p>On the negative side, teens who are members of racial and ethnic minorities face discrimination online, including racial slurs or jokes, negative stereotyping, body shaming and even threats of harm. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13350">first study of its kind</a> to investigate the mental health implications of online discrimination for Black and <a href="https://theconversation.com/stop-using-latinx-if-you-really-want-to-be-inclusive-189358">Latino</a> sixth through 12th graders over time found that these groups had increased risk of depression and anxiety. </p>
<p>In our work at the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab, we demonstrated that Black and Latino fifth through ninth graders <a href="https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/bc1/schools/lsoe/sites/isprc/Diversity%20Challenge/DC%20Presenter%20Program%20as%20of%209_25_20.pdf">adopt social media at a younger age</a> than their white peers, further exposing them to behavioral health difficulties like sleep disruption. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="an Asian teenage girl wearing headphones in a dark room types on a laptop keyboard" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510727/original/file-20230216-14-bzqyz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Asian American teens often face racism and bullying online.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/asian-young-woman-playing-online-games-on-laptop-royalty-free-image/1249868515">staticnak1983/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite having the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2001/12/12/asian-americans-and-the-internet/">highest reported access</a> to the internet and social media, Asian American youths still remain underrepresented in studies on digital media and well-being. Asian Americans in later adolescence and early adulthood – 18- to 24-year-olds – are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/aap0000109">more likely to be cyberbullied</a> than their white or Latino counterparts. </p>
<p>They are also the least likely to report negative experiences on social media in order to avoid embarrassment and maintain a positive image to the outside world. The global pandemic <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00039">triggered a rapid resurgence</a> of hate toward and racial profiling of Asian American communities, which has driven an increase in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000275">discrimination against Asian Americans</a>, <a href="https://phys.org/news/2021-03-asian-americans-biggest-incidents-online.html">including online</a>.</p>
<h2>Community and coping</h2>
<p>But there is also a growing body of research on the positive effects on youths of color of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120928488">social media that’s designed to be inclusive</a>. Our lab demonstrated that Black and Latino youths ages 11 to 15 were more likely than white and Asian adolescents to <a href="https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/bc1/schools/lsoe/sites/isprc/Diversity%20Challenge/DC%20Presenter%20Program%20as%20of%209_25_20.pdf">join online groups that made them feel less lonely and isolated</a>. These online communities included group chats on Snapchat, House Party, WhatsApp, Discord, anime fanfiction sites and sports and hobby-related groups. </p>
<p>There were differences between the Black and Latino youths we studied. Black adolescents preferred YouTube video content about relationships or friendships, whereas Latino youths were more likely to seek ways to cope with stress and anxiety. Latino youths were also more likely to use social media to stay in touch with relatives. In general, <a href="https://clalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Social-Media-and-Youth-Wellbeing-Report.pdf">having a sense of belonging on social media</a> has profound effects for young people of color.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a black teenage boy looks at a smart phone he's holding in both hands" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/510726/original/file-20230216-24-7c241k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Black teens often seek video content about relationships.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/low-angle-view-of-serious-teenage-boy-using-mobile-royalty-free-image/1136196122">Maskot via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>There is limited research that delves into the opportunities and experiences of Asian American and Indigenous adolescents as they explore racial and ethnic identity, especially during early (ages 10 to 13) and midadolescence (ages 11 to 17), and the role that social media plays in this process. </p>
<p>In a study of older adolescents and young adults (ages 18 to 25), Asian Americans reported using social media to seek social support during difficult times <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/aap0000109">in more private online channels</a>, which could be a way of avoiding the stigma around mental illness that persists in many Asian cultures. Our current <a href="https://www.thebobaproject.com/">NIH collaboration</a> with Brigham and Women’s Hospital is in the early stages of investigating how Chinese American parents and peers discuss racism and discrimination in online and offline contexts. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120948223">Recent research</a> conducted in response to the rise in racism aimed at Asian Americans has found camaraderie and resistance to discrimination in online spaces. This is similar to what has been seen on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476413480247">Black Twitter</a>. While this effect has yet to be documented in adolescents, it is another example of the power of collective racial and ethnic identity in an online community. </p>
<h2>Recognizing differences</h2>
<p>Across all marginalized populations there are untapped opportunities for research and design of social media. Offline risk factors such as bullying, victimization and behavioral problems spill into online spaces, heightening the risk of negative experiences on social media. We believe that researchers and technology developers can avoid amplifying online risks associated with different racial and ethnic identities. </p>
<p>At the same time, we also believe that researchers can focus on positive minority youth development on social media. Being a member of a group that is overlooked or faces discrimination can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.06.022">galvanize people and give them a sense of purpose</a>. They can tackle a mutual goal of community building and authenticity, which, in turn, may promote healthy youth development.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197676/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Linda Charmaraman receives funding from the National Institutes of Health, Morningstar Family Foundation, and Boston Children's Hospital Digital Wellness Lab. Occasionally, she is a consulting expert with the Jed Foundation and Meta's Wellbeing Creator Collective.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>J. Maya Hernandez, Ph.D. does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Black, Latino, Asian and Indigenous teens have different online experiences – both positive and negative – than their white peers. These differences are overlooked when research focuses on white kids.Linda Charmaraman, Director of Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab, Wellesley CollegeJ. Maya Hernandez, Ph.D., Ph.D. Candidate in Social Ecology, University of California, IrvineLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1993342023-02-08T17:36:07Z2023-02-08T17:36:07ZDominic Raab claims are more akin to ‘abusive supervision’ than bullying<p>Prime Minister Rishi Sunak continues to refuse to suspend the deputy prime minister, Dominic Raab, from office while accusations that he has behaved inappropriately towards staff are investigated. The government has confirmed that lawyer Adam Tolley is leading an investigation into two complaints made about Raab’s conduct while at the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Justice. </p>
<p>However, there are reports of many more accusations being made against him. The BBC reports there are <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64555911">eight formal complaints</a> currently standing against Raab, while the Guardian has reported that one complaint concerned <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/feb/05/dominic-raab-more-civil-servants-in-bullying-complaint-than-previously-thought">27 members of his staff</a>. </p>
<p>Raab has denied the accusations, and there is no formal mechanism for a deputy prime minister to be suspended. But allowing him to stay on in power, while receiving tacit support from high-ranking Tory politicians, nevertheless risks sending the signal that such behaviour is tolerated.</p>
<p>Sunak has indicated that Raab would be sacked if the investigation finds that he did behave inappropriately but insists he won’t move against him before then, stating on February 7: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The independent adviser is conducting his investigation, I can’t prejudge the outcome of that investigation, it’s right that it concludes. But as people have seen from how I’ve acted in the past, when I’m presented with conclusive independent findings that someone in my government has not acted with the integrity or standards that I would expect of them, I won’t hesitate to take swift and decisive action. That’s what I’ve done in the past. But with regard to this situation, it’s right that we let the independent process continue.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It would be possible for Sunak to sack Raab and then reappoint him were he cleared by the investigation. It has been suggested that Sunak does not do so partly to reward his loyalty. If that is the case, it would suggest that those in power are prioritising their pre-existing social connections over the wellbeing of their staff. Those who have made complaints may also feel their experiences are being invalidated.</p>
<p>Jake Berry, the former chairman of the Conservative Party has said that action should be taken against Raab immediately, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64514088">telling the BBC</a>: “It would be very bizarre if you had someone in any other workplace who wasn’t suspended pending that investigation.”</p>
<p>The situation unfolding around Raab is routinely described as “bullying” but he literature around workplace mistreatment points to something else. Workplace bullying can describe what happens between colleagues of relatively equal position, but <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2012.00339.x?casa_token=pA9tr0QDvVcAAAAA%3A4ezJ30VzHw5283arFBvIqSH1YLDPmDTnv9CN5ns-IrMvzcbjveFtkM5bUcYTTC4g8jMr1nfgok5341E">negative behaviours wear victims down</a> so that they feel “powerles” compared to their bullies. Given that Raab is a senior minister and the deputy prime minister, if the accusations are true we are potentially dealing with something different here.</p>
<h2>Abusive supervision</h2>
<p>Raab holds significant formal and informal power over his staff. His formal power stems from his very high position in the organisational hierarchy. He is the minister and the people accusing him are, as far as we know, civil servants (it is not clear whether any of the complaints come from people other than civil servants). </p>
<p>Raab’s informal power comes from the social power he has over staff. He has the ability to influence their careers and experience in the workplace. A government minister is at the centre of a government department. Power is very much centralised towards them – that includes people’s career trajectory. </p>
<p>Even without direct power to hire and fire, as someone whose voice matters in Whitehall, Raab can informally influence people’s career paths – for example, telling someone not to hire a certain person. </p>
<p>With all this in mind, what Raab is being accused of is akin to abusive supervision. This term describes interactions in which followers perceive their supervisors to engage in hostile verbal and non-verbal behaviours, such as hurtful remarks, public humiliation or scapegoating. </p>
<p>While abusive supervision can be classed as a type of workplace bullying, one can argue that abusive supervision can be even more detrimental because supervisors often have formal power to influence an employee’s life at work.</p>
<p>Abusive supervision can also affect more than one target, so you may have whole teams of employees who feel victimised. Academic <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0149206307300812?journalCode=joma">research</a> establishes that abusive supervision can lead to worse employee performance, worse mental health, and can even affect employees’ family lives. </p>
<p>A recent study suggests that abusive supervision undermines <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09585192.2022.2070715">“public service motivation”</a>, which is an employee’s motivation to work in public institutions and “for the greater good”. This is surely a detrimental sign for civil servants. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-bullying-in-politics-is-a-matter-of-democracy-194686">Why bullying in politics is a matter of democracy</a>
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<p>This kind of behaviour can be very detrimental to the people on the receiving end of it, and it can also harm organisations. If these behaviours become prevalent, abusive supervision is normalised and can even end up being promoted within an organisation’s culture. That is, people do not find such behaviours “out of the ordinary” or come to expect them as part of the job. </p>
<p>Employees may feel they have to emulate, or model, abusive behaviours to get ahead, as they have observed other senior figures behaving that way. </p>
<p>Whatever the investigation into Raab concludes, failing to send a signal that these issues are being taken seriously from the outset sends precisely the wrong signal.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199334/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kara Ng does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>RIshi Sunak has said he won’t suspend the deputy prime minister while dozens of accusations about his conduct are investigated.Kara Ng, Presidential Fellow in Organisational Psychology, University of ManchesterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1984872023-01-31T18:48:02Z2023-01-31T18:48:02ZThe ‘blue wall’ of silence allows bullying, sexual abuse and violence to infect police forces<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507163/original/file-20230130-9120-27yp4e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3000%2C1791&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Officers gather for a funeral service for a constable who'd been in a coma for 30 years in Victoria in April 2018.
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/the--blue-wall--of-silence-allows-bullying--sexual-abuse-and-violence-to-infect-police-forces" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>After an alleged targeted campaign of bullying and sexual harassment by fellow members of the Vancouver Police Department, <a href="https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/coroners-inquest-nicole-chan-suicide-vpd">Const. Nicole Chan died by suicide in January 2019</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022PSSG0071-001765">A coroner’s inquest</a> is now underway, examining the circumstances leading to her senseless, preventable death — despite the fact that key witnesses, including the officers at the centre of the British Columbia <em>Police Act</em> investigation, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9430320/nicole-chan-inquest-day-1/">aren’t on the witness list.</a></p>
<p>Police violence and misconduct are once again in the global spotlight after <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/29/us/tyre-nichols-protests-sunday/index.html">unarmed Black man Tyre Nichols</a> died following a severe police beating in Memphis, Tenn.</p>
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<img alt="A woman holds up a sign that says Stop Cops. Two Black people are in the foreground." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507197/original/file-20230130-26-mmkn3y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507197/original/file-20230130-26-mmkn3y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507197/original/file-20230130-26-mmkn3y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507197/original/file-20230130-26-mmkn3y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507197/original/file-20230130-26-mmkn3y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507197/original/file-20230130-26-mmkn3y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507197/original/file-20230130-26-mmkn3y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Protesters march on Jan. 28, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn., over the death of Tyre Nichols, who died after being beaten by Memphis police.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pain-of-police-killings-ripples-outward-to-traumatize-black-people-and-communities-across-us-159624">Pain of police killings ripples outward to traumatize Black people and communities across US</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>A pervasive history of bullying and sexual misconduct plagues law enforcement agencies and illustrates the failure of police forces to police themselves. Perhaps this culture might also explain the acts of violence police officers perpetrate on civilians.</p>
<p>In Canada, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/rcmp-class-action-tiller-civilian-women-final-report-1.6491165">sexual harassment lawsuits</a> involving the RCMP and targeted bullying, discrimination and sexualized violence <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/female-police-officers-come-forward-with-allegations-of-sexual-harassment-discrimination-1.4821765">in many police departments</a> demonstrate how law enforcement leadership is unable to keep its members safe from one another.</p>
<h2>Workplace bullying on the rise</h2>
<p>At any given time, <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/releases/2022/Q1/workplace-bullying-takes-an-emotional,-physical-toll-support-is-in-place-to-help.html">20 to 30 per cent of workers in North America have experienced workplace bullying</a>, and that number <a href="https://escipub.com/Articles/IJPRR/IJPRR-2020-01-1205.pdf">soars to 60 per cent for first responders</a>.</p>
<p>According to multiple studies, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m2984">80 per cent of women and 30 per cent of men have experienced</a> sexual harassment in the workplace. <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/workplace-harassment-and-violence-impacts-over-70-of-employees-in-canada-study-shows-1.6401673">In nearly three-quarters of all cases</a>, the perpetrators hold positions of power.</p>
<p>The impact on those subjected to the abuse includes <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4382139/">severe psychological harm</a>, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1618474565750890504"}"></div></p>
<h2>The impenetrable ‘blue wall’</h2>
<p>Similar to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-taking-canadas-armed-forces-so-long-to-tackle-sexual-misconduct-196869">insular nature of the Canadian Armed Forces</a>, also confronting a culture of bullying and sexualized violence within its ranks, the phenomenon of “cop culture” is equally problematic.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/misogyny-in-police-forces-understanding-and-fixing-cop-culture-176303">Misogyny in police forces: understanding and fixing 'cop culture'</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The shared set of beliefs, traditions and values in police forces often create a strong sense of cohesion, loyalty and camaraderie among its members. </p>
<p>However, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/how-police-brutality-gets-made/613030/">cop culture has been widely criticized</a> for creating an “us versus them” mentality among police officers, resulting in a lack of transparency and accountability surrounding their actions. </p>
<p>A pervasive <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/officer-claims-she-was-target-of-bullying-and-hazing-1.818950">code of silence exists in cop culture</a> where targets are discouraged from reporting misconduct. Those who do are often shamed, isolated, gaslit and branded “rats.” </p>
<p>This is a failure of leadership — at all levels.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A Toronto police cruiser parked on a city street." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507164/original/file-20230130-22-77tvti.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507164/original/file-20230130-22-77tvti.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507164/original/file-20230130-22-77tvti.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507164/original/file-20230130-22-77tvti.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507164/original/file-20230130-22-77tvti.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507164/original/file-20230130-22-77tvti.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507164/original/file-20230130-22-77tvti.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Toronto police vehicle is shown parked on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto in January 2023.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Doug Ives</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Human resources can’t get it right</h2>
<p>Addressing the culture of workplace bullying and sexual harassment falls squarely on the shoulders of human resources departments and organizational leadership, including oversight boards. Unfortunately, <a href="https://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2020/07/07/the-dangers-of-mishandling-harassment-complaints/">the mismanagement of these issues are commonplace</a> and have adverse outcomes.</p>
<p>Many organizations are ill-equipped and unwilling to address these type of issues. Many also lack HR professionals trained in these types of investigations. But this is no longer an acceptable excuse. </p>
<p>Despite zero-tolerance policies when it comes to bullying and sexual harassment, in practice, they don’t typically work in favour of those being targeted and are often unenforced — especially when the perpetrator is a boss.</p>
<p>There are federal and provincial <a href="https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/bullying.html">occupational health and safety legislation</a> to address workplace bullying and sexual harassment. But despite the prevalence and adverse impact on employees being targeted, these laws don’t sufficiently support the complainant, are difficult to navigate, are often misinterpreted and remain relatively toothless.</p>
<p>In fact, the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner <a href="https://theprovince.com/news/local-news/no-public-hearing-will-be-held-into-vancouver-police-officers-dismissal/wcm/2e36d1ad-e935-4c50-a33f-e849c7cf4063">decided against holding an inquiry</a> into Chan’s case because it was deemed “not in the best interest of the public” — when in reality, the systemic issues of sexual harassment and bullying on police forces is the very definition of the public interest.</p>
<p>Chan <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/nicole-chan-inquest-1.6727111">filed a WorkSafeBC complaint</a> against the Vancouver Police Department, but it appeared to focus on process rather than on her safety.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Three Asian women dressed in black winter coats leave a courthouse." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507148/original/file-20230130-12322-9ng6vm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507148/original/file-20230130-12322-9ng6vm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507148/original/file-20230130-12322-9ng6vm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507148/original/file-20230130-12322-9ng6vm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507148/original/file-20230130-12322-9ng6vm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507148/original/file-20230130-12322-9ng6vm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/507148/original/file-20230130-12322-9ng6vm.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Jennifer Chan, second left, the sister of late Vancouver Police Const. Nicole Chan, leaves a coroner’s inquest in January 2023.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But she did everything right. </p>
<p>She went to her supervisors for help — they allegedly failed to provide assistance. She complained to HR and the situation worsened. When in crisis, she was taken to hospital by police under the <em>Mental Health Act</em> and despite this was discharged two hours before she took her own life. </p>
<p>At every turn, the system failed her. Why? Because when the bully is the boss, the power imbalance is severe. And when organizations just pay lip service to keeping employees protected from bullying and sexual harassment, people get hurt.</p>
<h2>What now?</h2>
<p>Most police officers and administrators who choose to serve our communities are honourable people. </p>
<p>Problems occur when those in positions of authority abuse their status, exploit their power, violate law and policy and turn a blind eye to misconduct.</p>
<p>Chan’s story is a classic example of how the system, oversight bodies, the Vancouver Police Department, the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner, the City of Vancouver, WorkSafeBC, Vancouver General Hospital and her colleagues in blue failed her at every turn. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1617599872387145728"}"></div></p>
<p>At this moment, <a href="https://www.straight.com/news/dana-larsen-vpd-exploitation-preceded-officers-suicide">countless others are living similar stories</a> — yet nothing is done, and those in leadership positions offer up very little by way of explanation. </p>
<p>In Canada, immediate changes to provincial <a href="https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96367_01">police acts</a> are required to include charges for any officers who witness or are aware of bullying or sexual harassment and fail to report. Canada’s <a href="https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/ccc/index.html">Criminal Code</a> also requires amendments that would make workplace violence, bullying and sexual harassment criminal offences. </p>
<p>In British Columbia, creating new powers for the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner to independently investigate and address complaints of bullying and sexual harassment outside the department chain of command is a logical next step. </p>
<p>Thinking bigger, perhaps it’s time to create provincial workplace conduct commissioners who have the power and authority to intervene on issues of bullying and sexual harassment. </p>
<p>Chan’s death is a stark reminder that workplace bullying and sexual harassment is deadly. Society and her employer failed her.</p>
<p>And until police forces deal with the multitude of systemic issues that encourage and cover up workplace violence, it’s difficult not to wonder who’s next.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/198487/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jason Walker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A pervasive history of bullying and sexual misconduct plagues law enforcement agencies and illustrates the failure of police forces to police themselves.Jason Walker, Associate Professor, Graduate Studies, Leadership and People Management, University Canada WestLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1961802023-01-13T06:14:53Z2023-01-13T06:14:53ZChildren facing racist bullying at school need support from teachers – but many don’t get it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503811/original/file-20230110-18-dqwgs2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C17%2C5734%2C3811&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/full-length-tensed-girl-sitting-against-259325789">wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the academic year 2020-21, there were 1,198 instances of racially motivated bullying <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/615c1bee105b4f55a98326d0/t/638601471d0e3c4bebfc3f8b/1669726556305/CRER+Racially+Motivated+Bullying+e-use.pdf">reported in Scottish schools</a> – up from 409 in 2016-17. These are the highest recorded figures to date. </p>
<p><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40894-022-00197-2">My research</a>, carried out with colleagues, explores the impact of racist bullying like this – bullying motivated by prejudice against someone’s race, ethnicity, culture, citizenship or religion. </p>
<p>We conducted what is known as a systematic review: examining existing research studies to look for trends and patterns. We pulled together the results of 73 existing research studies on racist bullying from around the world. We wanted to know more about what happens to young people who experience racist bullying. </p>
<p><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40894-022-00197-2">We found</a> that racist bullying increases the risk of poor mental health. It can cause loneliness and lead children to drop out of school. It can result in alcohol and substance misuse. </p>
<p>We also found that young people feel their teachers are dismissive of racist biases and stereotypes. The way teachers handle complaints about racism could be critical for children and young people’s mental health. </p>
<h2>Trying to cope</h2>
<p>Children and young people often try to cope with racist bullying by “filtering out” incidents and trying to protect themselves <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/jgm-06-2020-0041">with indifference</a>. They try to laugh it off, taking insults in a joking manner.</p>
<p>But 18 studies included in our review found that racist bullying contributes to depression, anxiety, lower self-esteem and feelings of anger. These effects have been found among teenagers and younger children. In some cases, racist bullying can be so severe that it is linked to PTSD symptoms and suicidal thoughts. </p>
<p>Our research found that there are several factors that could influence whether a child gets bullied because of their race or cultural identity. </p>
<p>Racist bullying is strongly influenced by ethnic, racial and religious stereotypes that have developed as a result of negative media representations of ethnic and religious minorities. For example, media representations of refugees as illegal migrants or <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijop.12662">“economic refugees”</a>, whose aim is to take advantage of benefit systems, influence how children from migrant backgrounds are treated at school. </p>
<p>Some children bullied due to their race, ethnicity or culture at school also reported experiencing racism and discrimination in other situations, such as by strangers in public places.</p>
<p>Markers of difference, such as speaking a native language at school, can also increase the risk of racist bullying. For example, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15348431.2021.2022485?needAccess=true">one study</a> reported that students who were using Spanish in a school in Texas, USA were told that they were “strange” and that they should “go back to Mexico”.</p>
<p>Children and young people from ethnically diverse backgrounds are also more likely to face racist bullying in schools where they are <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.870">in the minority</a>. The numerical difference only serves to accentuate the power imbalance between racial and cultural majorities and minorities. </p>
<h2>The role of schools</h2>
<p>The school environment can make a difference. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1016/j.adolescence.2017.10.008">A study</a> included in our review found that students were less likely to face racist bullying in schools where teachers showed support for cultural diversity. These findings show the important role teachers play in promoting positive intercultural relationships and inclusion and reducing prejudice. </p>
<p>However, the most worrying finding emerging from our research was that young people did not feel supported by their teachers. In 16 studies included in our review, six of which were conducted in the UK, young people and parents reported that they felt teachers were dismissive of racial bias or stereotyping.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1597594024978059264"}"></div></p>
<p>Recent work by Scottish charity the <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/615c1bee105b4f55a98326d0/t/638601471d0e3c4bebfc3f8b/1669726556305/CRER+Racially+Motivated+Bullying+e-use.pdf">Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights</a> supports this finding. It shows that only 17% of schools in Scotland recorded one or more racially motivated bullying incident over 2020-21. Given that 61% of schools did not report bullying of any nature at all, it seems likely that bullying in schools is being overlooked. </p>
<p>Children and young people who are bullied due to their race or culture may feel that their teachers have double standards in dealing with incidents. In one study conducted in Austria, an eight-year-old child said that when ethnic majority children complained about bullying they were taken seriously, while when he was bullied it would be <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijop.12662">dismissed as “just play”</a>. This suggests a link between institutional racism – the attitude of the school towards the children – and the racist bullying they experienced from their peers.</p>
<p>Schools should have clear policies against racist bullying to protect the mental health and educational development of children and young people from minority groups. But no policy will be effective without also addressing the structural racism within schools. This means recognising the <a href="https://www.gov.scot/publications/diversity-teaching-profession-education-workforce-annual-data-report-2022/pages/2/">lack of diversity among teachers</a> and in the school curriculum, and the attitudes held in schools and in the wider community.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196180/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This research was partially funded by the Erasmus + Grant Number 2017–1-UK01-KA201-036611.</span></em></p>Children and their parents reported facing discriminatory attitudes from teachers.Maria Sapouna, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of the West of ScotlandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.