4 direct responses to bullying behaviour

of responses that could be used along with six different strategies appear in my book. The options (p82) and strategies are:

• Coaching by either questioning (p116) what is going on or discussing how the behaviour is eroding (p105) respect and the relationship.
• Challenging by referring to the expectations of the behaviour agreement (p105) or looking to swap the behaviour (p110) with an appropriate behaviour.
• Reprimand by naming the behaviour (p103) to establish the expectation that it stops.
• Consequences or punishment are issued. These consequences (p115) can be scaled in severity based on the severity and number of occurrences of the behaviour

Strengths

• Immediately address behaviour to ensure consequences occur straight after the behaviour making them more effective
• Demonstrates to bystanders that behaviour not tolerated
• Enables investigation into the specific incident to establish the possible underlying context for the behaviour
• The target cannot be labelled an informer
• Promotes a positive organisational culture
• Based upon accepted behaviour agreement that can be established organisation wide

Weaknesses

• Requires the behaviour to occur where it is seen
• Requires constant vigilance to identify behaviours
• Focus is on behaviour seen and may not capture other behaviours prior to event
• May not capture indirect or relationship bullying behaviour
• Behaviour may be retaliation to prior events which victimises the target by receiving punishment while instigator gets no penalty
• It can fail to recognise repetitive behaviours
• Has difficulty handling group bullying behaviours
• Needs to be consistently applied by everyone

Remember if nothing is done when it occurs, it will be assumed that the behaviour is okay to be used.

Tags: aggression, bullying behaviour, responding, teaching, workplace, sport