bullying and workplace violence power point whistleblower week 2008
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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