CLUBHOUSE DOCTORS NOW USING BULLYING TACTICS TOO

Online bullying is nothing new but when doctors become the bullies themselves, the harm becomes much more intense

ONLINE BULLYING COULD SEE DICTORS STRIPPED OF THEIR LICENSES

There are many ways to define bullying, with no single definition used across the board. In the UK, arbitration experts, ACAS, again, suggests the fo lowing: ‘Offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient.’

The Andrea Adams Trust defined bulying as: [2] Unwarranted humiliating or offensive behaviour towards an individual or groups of employees. Persistently negative malicious attacks on personal or professional performance typicaly characterised as unpredictable, unfair, irrational and often unseen. An abuse of power or position that can cause such anxiety that people gradualy lose all belief in themselves, suffering physical health and mental distress as a direct result.

The use of position or power to coerce others by fear, persecution or to oppress them by force or threat. It has been identified as a more crippling and devastating problem for both employees and employers than the other work related stresses combined.

Whereas many types of harassment are unlawful under current legislation, at the moment there is no specific legislation against bu lying in the workplace , a fact that ca ls for the need for a coherent anti-bu lying policy. Harassment v Bulying An examination of the differences between harassment and bullying wil help to isolate those qualities unique to bu lying which should be included in an anti-bu lying policy. Harassment Has a strong physical component – e.g. contact, touch, intrusion into personal space, damage to possessions and sabotage of target’s work. Workplace Bullying -Harassment may occur once or several times, but the target is usually aware that it is harassment right from the beginning.

The target may not realise they are being bulied for weeks or months. Often the target wil have a light-bulb moment, when they realise that a series of often seemingly insignificant incidents amount to intimidation