to the March 2002 e-newsletter on bullying, harassment, stress and related issues which has an American flavor this month.
British Columbia forum on bullying
Sunday 10 March, 2-5pm: a forum organised by the Hamed Nastoh Anti Bullying
coalition featuring expert counsellors, guest speakers and people with personal
experience of bullying, crime and violence. Open to school-aged children and
parents. Adults who are targets of bullying and violence are also welcome to
attend and seek assistance. Surrey
Conference Centre, 9260
140th Street,
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
Awareness rising in
USA
The Expendables is an ambitious documentary and
book intended to explore the inner workings of workplaces in America and give targets of workplace
abuse, cubicle terrorism and boss/co-worker-related conflict a voice and an
opportunity to be a catalyst for change: www.expendablesatwork.com
Need to push the
issue in the US
Talk shows provide an excellent vehicle for overcoming taboos and raising
awareness. Let’s all suggest that Oprah Winfrey covers bullying; you can email
your recommendation at http://www.oprah.com/email/email_landing.jhtml
Work abuse
In case you haven’t found it, California-based Judith Wyatt and Chauncey Hare
are authors of Work Abuse: How to Recognize and Survive It (Schenkman Books, 1997). Chauncey’s
web site is at http://www2.netcom.com/~workfam1and
you can read Marge Mueller’s interview with Chauncey The Secret Tragedy of
Working: Work Abuse - PTSD at http://www.successunlimited.co.uk/bully/workabus.htm
Nineveh
Nineveh is an Internet forum similar to Bullyonline providing support and information to targets of
bullying in North
America. Details at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Nineveh
and once you join you can see the Nineveh bookmarks page at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Nineveh/links
which contains links to further US resources.
Teacherline gets
new name
Teacher Support Line is a 24-hour counselling helpline set up in October 1999
for stressed teachers in England and Wales. Originally known as Teacherline and
run by the Teachers Benefit Fund, Teacherline has been rebranded Teacher
Support Line and TBF has been rebranded Teacher Support Network. If you’re a
stressed-out teacher (eg dealing with bullying at school in England or Wales)
you can call Teacher Support Line on 08000 562 561 or you can e-mail from the
web site www.teachersupport.info
Workplace risks and
health issues
The NHS Plus website was launched in November 2001 to deliver clear and concise
information to UK employers, employees, occupational health providers and NHS
staff. It provides a comprehensive resource on workplace risks and health
issues and puts employers in touch with their local NHS Plus unit: http://www.nhsplus.nhs.uk
Workstress Network
The UK National Work Stress Network is linked to the UK and European Hazards
Campaigns and seeks to provide support and campaigning ideas and materials for
those who can identify stress in their workplace. The aim is to identify and
eradicate organisational factors which create workplace stress. An annual
conference is planned to coincide with European Safety Week in October for
which the focus is workplace stress. More on the Workstress Network at www.workstress.net
Veterans sue for
PTSD
260 former UK service personnel have started court action for the PTSD they say
they have suffered as a result of conflict and the MoD’s failure to take
preventative measures or provide subsequent support and counselling. A further
1600 personnel are considering legal action. More Falklands veterans have now
committed suicide than were killed in the conflict. The MoD’s record on PTSD
has a long history: pardons have still not be granted to 306 soldiers who were
executed on the orders
of General Haig in World War I. More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1852000/1852964.stm
Has Jo Moore read Bully in sight?
According to Jonathan Baume, general secretary of the Association of First
Division Civil Servants (FDA), UK transport secretary Stephen Byers’ former
special adviser Jo Moore had an approach which amounted to “an almost textbook
case of bullying”. It was Jo Moore who sent an email on 11 September 2001
suggesting it would be “a good day to bury bad news.” More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_1845000/1845935.stm
Bullying by email
On the subject of sensitive emails, a new survey finds that many British office
workers send e-mails which are sexist, racist, pornographic or used to “backstab”
rivals at work. More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1855000/1855524.stm
SCHOOL BULLYING
ABC hour-long
program on bullying
ABC NEWS obtained
copies of Canadian research tapes that followed bullies in school playgrounds.
It showed cruelty that adults rarely see. More at http://abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/stossel_020215_popularity.html
Girls just wanna be
mean, allegedly
A comprehensive article in the New York Times
examines girl-on-girl bullying. You have to register (free) to read the
article: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/24/magazine/24GIRLS.html?pagewanted=1
Teenage girls are
now meaner than the guys
More on mean girl bullies in the International Herald and Tribune: http://www.iht.com/articles/49575.html
Mean girls
A complementary article on schoolgirl bullying appeared in the UK broadsheet
The Observer: http://www.observer.co.uk/focus/story/0,6903,660933,00.html
Bully
Based on real events, Bully is a movie about a community in shock
after a group of teenagers decide to kill a bully who has been plaguing them.
Details at http://www.bullythemovie.com/
and UK people can find it at a cinema near them via http://freeserve.filmunlimited.co.uk/Film_Page/0,4061,-V1-590048,00.html
Bullycide inquest
The inquest has taken place on 13-year-old Morgan Musson from Nottingham,
England, who took her life after being tormented for seven months. More at www.successunlimited.co.uk/bullycide/chldnews.htm#Musson2
Another bullycide
An inquest on 15-year-old Hannah Taylerson from Bristol, England, has returned
a verdict of “self-harm”. Hannah hanged herself with her school tie after
having problems at school which included peers talking about her behind her
back. More at www.successunlimited.co.uk/bullycide/chldnews.htm#Hannah
Deal with causes,
not effects
A swipe card pilot scheme at St Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic High School in
Edinburgh, Scotland, will enable pupils to pay bus fares, visit sports centres
and buy their lunch without the need for cash. The aim is to stop children
being bullied for their dinner money. There was no mention of any scheme to
tackle the problem at source by holding bullies accountable. When bullies are
denied one specious excuse for bullying, they invent another. If a child is
picked on because they have “sticky-out ears” will the child now have to have
their ears cut off? There’s more on specious excuses at www.successunlimited.co.uk/bullycide/child.htm#Reasons
MEDIA CORNER
Author needs
stories
Kathy Noll, co-author with Dr Jay Carter of Taking the Bully by the Horns,
is in need of stories from both targets of bullying and the bullies themselves.
Kathy is looking for an article written by a child/teen who used to bully
another child but has stopped - they will get paid for this and be published in
a well-known magazine. Kathy is also looking for people (including parents and
children) to take part in media interviews and TV programs, including MSNBC,
The Ananda Lewis Show, Inside Edition and the Montel Williams Show. Kathy is
also working with CBS News show 48 Hours & MTV (Arnold Shapiro Productions)
on documentaries to help bullies & targets. See http://hometown.aol.com/kthynoll or
email Kathy for more details: kthynoll@aol.com
Bullies and targets
I’m Jill Foster, Features Commissioning Editor at The Mirror in the UK, and I’m
looking for a woman in her twenties or thirties in the UK who was either
bullied at school in the UK or was a bully herself. I want to speak to both
parties, the bully and her target. Hopefully a lot of water will have passed
under the bridge and there will be no animosity between them now - all that’s
required is a frank discussion about bullying and how it affected each of them.
We’d also want to ask them about how they think bullying should be tackled in
schools today. Do they think it’s a natural part of growing up or should
teachers/parents/kids get involved? We will pay each woman ~250 for appearing
in the feature and we would arrange the meeting ourselves - probably in a nice restaurant over a quiet drink. A writer and
photographer will accompany them throughout the meal. The feature will be in
the female M section of the newspaper. Please contact me by email at j.foster@mirror.co.uk or tel 0207 293
3045.
Domestic violence
Are you experiencing domestic violence in a same sex relationship? Are you hit
or controlled by your partner? Are you being abusive to your partner? Would you
be prepared to share your experience as part of a BBC documentary? If so then
please call Sara at the BBC on 0208 752 5108. A phone call will be in complete
confidence and does not commit you to the programme.
Look at me now
I’m Rachel Garnet and I’m a feature writer for Company Magazine. For our
positive, upbeat “It Could Be You” section, I am looking for people who can
honestly say “I was bullied but look at me now”. I would love to chat to young
women in the UK aged between 18 -30 who are real successes even though they
were bullied either at school, college or work. As part of the feature we pay
all expenses for people to come down to London for a midweek photoshoot, which includes a pampering makeover. If you
fit this profile, please contact me on 020 7312 3916 or email Rachel.Garnet@natmags.co.uk
Tonight with Trevor
MacDonald
UK ITV’s current affairs series Tonight with Trevor McDonald is making
a programme about bullying particularly amongst girls. If you would like to
speak to the programme about your experiences, email lesley.gardiner@granadamedia.com
New TV series on
school reunions for C4
RDF the makers of popular series ‘Faking It’ are making an upbeat series on
school reunions. We are looking to reunite 20 classmates who haven’t seen each
other for years. If you were bullied at school in the UK and are ready to go
back and meet your classmates including the bully please give us a call or
email for more info: sharon.stansfield@rdfmedia.com
020 7908 1324.
NEW LINKS THIS MONTH
US workers’ legal
rights
The Weingarten Rules define a US employee’s legal rights when the employer conducts
an investigatory interview: http://www.successunlimited.co.uk/action/accomp.htm#USA
Suicide prevention
Befrienders International works to prevent suicide worldwide with 31,000
volunteers in over 40 countries. See http://www.befrienders.org/suicidal/bullying/work.htm
(workplace bullying) and http://www.befrienders.org/suicidal/bullying/school.htm
(school bullying).
Reactive depression
Job stress can result in reactive depression: http://www.psychologyinfo.com/DrFranklin/reactive_depression.html
Working Minds
Toolkit
A practical resource to promote good workplace practice on mental health as
part of a UK campaign to stop the stigma and
discrimination surrounding mental health: http://www.mindout.net/wm/images/mo_tk_complete.pdf
(this is a large pdf file with some interesting stuff)
Pages you may have
missed
Newspaper, magazine and journal articles on bullying: www.successunlimited.co.uk/bully/articles.htm
What do you think?
I’ve been producing this e-newsletter for a few months now and I’m interested
in what you think of it. What would you like to see more of? Do you have a news
item or a development that you’d like to share? Just email me the details (and URL
if possible).
Spreading the word
Bullying affects at least 50% of the population. If you or someone you know
have a web site please link to Bully OnLine at www.successunlimited.co.uk
Your counsellor, therapist, friends, colleagues and clients can benefit from these e-newsletters - just ask them to send me their email address and I’ll send them their own copy each month.
Posted by Tim Field
Email timfield@successunlimited.co.uk
Webmaster, Bully OnLine at www.successunlimited.co.uk
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