Bullying and Workplace Violence

Janet Parker, D.V.M.

Bureau of Justice Statistics 2001

• 1.7 million workers are injured

each year during workplace assaults

• Violent workplace incidents account for

18% of all violent crime in the United

States

• Each year 807 workplace homicides

5 million U.S. hospital workers

• Hospital workers - High Risk

•

• 2,637 nonfatal assaults on hospital workers

occurred in 1999-a rate of 8.3 assaults per

10,000 workers.

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Effects of Violence

• Range in intensity and include the

following:

– Minor physical injuries

– Serious physical injuries

– Temporary and permanent physical disability

– Psychological trauma

– Death

Risk Factors

• Volatile people - the influence of drugs or

alcohol

• History of violence or certain psychotic

diagnoses

• Working when understaffed-especially

during meal times and visiting hours

Hospital Risk Factors

• Long waits for service

• Overcrowded, uncomfortable waiting rooms

• Working alone

• Inadequate security

• Lack of staff training and policies for

preventing and managing crises with

potentially volatile patients

• Drug and alcohol abuse

Watch for signals

• Verbally expressed anger and frustration

• Body language such as threatening gestures

• Signs of drug or alcohol use

• Presence of a weapon

• Evaluate each situation for potential

violence when you enter a room or begin to

relate to a patient or visitor.

Help Diffuse Anger

• Present a calm, caring attitude.

• Don't match the threats. Don't give orders.

• Acknowledge the person's feelings (for

example, "I know you are frustrated").

• Avoid any behavior that may be interpreted

as aggressive (for example, moving rapidly,

getting too close, touching, or speaking

loudly).

Typology of violence

• I: Criminal intent 85% of all homicides

• II: Customer/client

• III: Worker-on-worker - Worker-on-worker

fatalities account for approximately 7% of

all workplace homicides.

• IV: Personal relationship - 5% of all

workplace homicides

Barriers to Prevention

• Denial, Lack of Teamwork

• Lack of incentives or disincentives

• Lack of Worker Empowerment

• Lack of Awareness & Policy

• Lack of Information/Lack of Reporting

• Lack of Communication/Training

• Lack of Resources

How can people be so cruel?

• Across the land, away from the spotlight, a

different kind of suffering goes on unnoticed

- in homes, workplaces, schools, and

universities. I am talking about intentional

cruelty against other human beings, such as

physical and emotional abuse, bullying,

oppression and exploitation...

Workplace Bullying

• Bullying is:

– Persistent , unwelcome

– Intrusive behavior of one or more individuals

whose actions prevent others from fulfilling

their duties

– Hierarchical and can be traced to the top or near

the top

– Denial is the most common strategy employed

by toxic managements

Purpose of Bullying

• To hide the inadequacy of the bully

• Has nothing to do with "management" or

the achievement of tasks

• Projection of Bully’s inadequacies onto

others to distract and divert attention away

from himself/herself

Tip of Iceberg

• Misappropriation of budgets

• Harassment

• Discrimination

• Breaches of rules, regulations, professional

codes of conduct and health and safety

practices

Common Denominator

• The common denominator of harassment,

discrimination, stalking and abuse

• A harasser or discriminator focuses on race

or gender or disability

• Bullies focus on competence and popularity

Emotionally Immature

• Seethe with Resentment and Anger

• Jealousy and Envy

• Pick on employees who are good at their

job and popular with people

• Crave attention and become resentful when

others get more attention for their

competence and achievements

Profile of a Bully• Compulsive lying

• Dr. Jekyll and Hyde nature

• High verbal facility

• Charming

• Capacity to deceive

• Arrested level of emotional development

• Compulsive need to control

Typical Outcomes for Target

• Target is at least average, probably above

average in job performance and yet……

• Forced resignation

• Unfair dismissal

• Early or ill- health retirement whilst the

bully is promoted

Tim Field’s Study in UK

• 12-50% of the workforce experience

bullying

• 20% of cases from the education sector,

12% are from healthcare

• 10% are from social services

• 6% from the voluntary / charity / not-for-

profit sector.

Direct Costs

• US $7-17 billion – even $44 billion

• However 20% of employers still do

not regard stress as a health and

safety issue, instead preferring to

see it as malingering.

Indirect Costs

• Higher-than average staff turnover

• Increased Absenteeism

• Increased costs of staff cover

• Increased administration costs

• Loss of production and reduced productivity

Spreads like Cancer

• Subtle in nature, bullying

• Difficult to recognize

• Excessive workloads

• Lack of support

• Climate of fear

• High levels of insecurity

Psychological Trauma

• Bullying is a form of psychological and

emotional rape because of its intrusive and

violational nature

• Prolonged Bullying can cause Complex

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome

For Additional Information

• The Workplace Bullying Institute, WBI

Founded by Dr. Ruth Namie and Dr. Gary

Namie

• Bully on Line – Tim Fields