Staffroom bulling

The ENEMY WITHIN

As long as workplace bullying is regarded as a ‘dirty little secret’ it will continue, say Rodger Pyrha. To end it, teachers must come out fighting as a group…

A survey of more than 900 primary, secondary and further education staff across the UK published by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers at its annual conference last year found that a quarter of teachers have been bullied by another member of staff. The bullies are often other teachers who pick on their staffroom colleagues – with heads and senior staff alleged to be among the worst culprits. (Of the teachers who felt they had been bullied, 50 per cent said it was by a senior member of staff, compared with 25 per cent by pupils and 23 per cent by parents.)

The most widespread forms of bullying were negative comments and verbal insults. But almost half of bullying victims claimed they had been intimidated – for example, being threatened or sworn at – and two in five reported psychological abuse.

Social networking websites are also being used to threaten and make false allegations against teachers. An NASUWT survey (April, 2012) showed that more than four in 10 have experienced such online abuse. There have been attacks on teacher’s professional ability, allegations of inappropriate behaviour with a pupil, online insults from parents, and even death threats from pupils writing on websites. Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, described the level of online abuse against teachers as “truly shocking”.

Who are these difficult people?

Driving these statistics is the psychology behind bullying and difficult behaviour. While difficult people may come across as very confident, assertive, and capable, they are more likely to be insecure and feel threatened by the person they target. Although ambitious and highly motivated, they can lack the dedication or skills required to achieve the level of success they think they deserve. Hence, they step on others and try to manipulate them to accomplish their goals.

The target, on the other hand, is typically very competent but with one critical character trait – he or she is likely to be particularly helpful and caring, and therefore motivated to heal relationships and make the world a better place (which is one reason why bullying is particularly common amongst healthcare workers and educators). This makes people who are targeted by bullying ripe for exploitation because they don’t match aggression with aggression. They believe they can overcome bullying with goodwill and persistence. They try in earnest to work with the bully, and go along with what they think the bully wants as a way of pacifying him or her. Only 11 per cent will actually report it and the average target endures the bullying for 22 months (Namie, G, 2003, Workplace bullying: Escalated incivility).

What can you do to stop it?

Herrick International, which runs courses across public, private and voluntary sectors, provides a simple and effective three-step process that you can apply. If you are aware of, or are yourself the target of bullying or difficult people in the workplace, use these three steps to put an end to the ordeal and alleviate the suffering.

Step one:
Name the behaviour

You know what constitutes difficult behaviour and you are now better able to recognise it for what it is. As long as this behaviour is shrouded in secrecy and considered one of those dirty little secrets at work, it will continue.

So, the vital first step is to recognise that bullying is actually happening in your working environment. This has the important psychological value of identifying that the bully – rather than you – is the source of the problem.

Step two: Create
norms of behaviour

Every year, primary teachers meet a new class of excited and energetic children. The first thing they establish are ‘rules of behaviour’ in their classroom. This identifies what is expected of each child – usually created by the children themselves – and from this simple beginning, pupils begin to play an active role in controlling classroom behaviour. Of course, some children will step over the line and teachers will provide a set of consequences for each challenge to behaviour – e.g. the ‘naughty step’.

However, what ‘rules of behaviour’ have you in the workplace? Most schools do not mention staff behaviour, even more do not spell out specific details. As a result, policy can be open to interpretation. What information is provided to parents about expected behaviour? Are staff empowered to challenge unacceptable behaviour? Do we have consequences that are always followed up in cases of unacceptable behaviour?

If you’re in a position to influence school policy on behaviour, or are responsible for dealing with complaints of bullying behaviour, here are some things to do:

> Unwittingly, some organisations encourage bullies by tolerating, requiring or even rewarding aggressive, manipulative behaviour. Instead, create a reward system that promotes teamwork.
> As a manager or person with authority, add ‘bullying’ to your harassment policy, or design a policy specifically for it.
> Be vigilant for classic symptoms of bullying or difficult colleagues: high absenteeism; high turnover specific to one department or position; increased employee complaints.
> If someone comes to you with a complaint, take it seriously. Investigate it just as you would any other complaint that undermines your work culture and productivity.
> Intervene early and monitor the situation closely – you want to send a clear message that you don’t tolerate bullying and that you take complaints seriously.
> Remember, happy and contented staff are the most successful way of achieving excellent standards – therefore, invest where it can be of most help.

Step three:
Expose the bully

The bully has to be exposed and his or her tactics revealed. It’s never an easy thing to do. However, if you have laid out precise expectations regarding behaviour norms and you have the data, support and evidence you need to make your case, you must take your complaint to the highest level you can – and present your factual evidence. Talk to your coworkers and ask for their support. All too often, targets don’t openly ask their colleagues for support. Meanwhile, bullies will try to socially isolate their target. Don’t fall for their tricks. Ask your colleagues to stand up for you (but don’t be surprised if they’re too scared) and make sure you stand up for them. Meet the bully’s aggression with resolution. When you come out fighting (especially if you come out fighting as a group), the cowardly part of the bully often shows up.

Herrick International’s Dealing with Difficult People and Tackling Difficult Conversations programmes are designed to support schools in creating an environment that will reduce areas of conflict. For further information, visit herrickinternational.net or email rodger.pyrah@herrick international.net