YOUNG PROFESSIONALS SAY NO TO BULLIES TOOLBOX YOUNG PROFESSIONALS SAY NO TO BULLIES TOOLBOX | Page 10
“Young professionals! Say no to bullies!!!”
should be remembered that the victim is capable of disarming the mobber if the conditions favourable
to mobbing are avoided.
6. If the negative actions escalate and our interventions have not yet been made, or have not been
successful, we should take notes of the experienced mobbing practices, i.e. when and where they took
places, by whom they were witnessed, what was said and in what manner. Such notes may be very
useful for future references as after some time we may not be able to remember the details and be less
credible.
7. Resolving conflicts – it may happen that mobbing results from conflicts which are treated as an excuse
for harassing, blaming and tormenting a particular person. Conflict situations should be treated
seriously, talked over, and resolved as soon as possible so that negative behaviours cannot escalate. If
we are unable to cope with a particular situation, we should ask our colleagues, or employer for help.
8. Looking for support – when the cases of mobbing occur, it is very important not be secluded from
colleagues as they may help by talking to the vicitim, informing the employer, and reacting in different
ways. It should be remembered that the mobber will use any possible occasion to blame the victim for
the situation. The mobber will convince the people around that it is the victim who is sick, quarrelsome,
and disturbed. Isolating from others will only exacerbate mobber’s attitude and actions. The support
for the victim is another important aspect. After an act of mobbing has taken place, it is important to
ask the victim if such acts happened earlier, and if he/she needs any help. The victim is to have the
sense of support and awareness that he/she has not been left alone. What is more, if we are approached
by anybody who claims to have been harassed, we should spare some time to listen to hear him/her
out attentively. We should not advise, or reassure the person, but after hearing the story we should try
to come up with any potential solutions. One of the most important things for the victims is the sense
of being supported and not being left alone!
9. Assertive behaviours help to react in an appropriate way.
If all the behaviours mentioned above are combined and used in the case of acts of
mobbing it is very likely that the mobber will be discouraged and abandon his intentions.
Additionally, it may be expected that the victim’s expenses will be much
lower than in the
case of acts of mobbing committed behind closed doors.
It must be remembered though that even a singular negative behaviour should not take place
and is unacceptable and should cause our reaction. If we believe that our dignity, or somebody’s
dignity is violated, we must react, otherwise we may not achieve anything.
3. Discrimination and sexual harassment
Definitions
Discrimination is a very broad term that covers uneven, harmful and unjust treatment of particular
people in terms of their belonging to a particular social group (men / women, the disabled, the elderly,
homosexuals / heterosexuals etc.). As in the case of mobbing, the regulations considering
discrimination may vary in different countries. As the phenomenon of discrimination is broad and
multi-layered, and more common than mobbing (most of us discriminate without realizing it), it is
important to understand how it occurs. Being familiar with this mechanism may help us to eliminate
discrimination in our and other people’s acting.
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'Informational and workshop guide for mobbing, discrimination and sexual harassment'