Deal with cyber bullying

Citation

Liefooghe, A. (2012), "Deal with cyber bullying", Strategic HR Review, Vol. 11 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/shr.2012.37211daa.004

Deal with cyber bullying

Article Type: How to… From: Strategic HR Review, Volume 11, Issue 4

Practical advice for HR professionals

Andreas LiefoogheHead of the Department of Organizational Psychology and Assistant Dean at Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.

Cyber bullying can be contained – but not eradicated. Bullying is part of the human condition. People working in groups will experience positive things such as a sense of belonging and cohesion, but we cannot ignore that the possibility for escalating conflicts always exists.

With new technologies, the possibilities for misunderstandings and conflicts increase vastly. Cyber bullying is the use of a technological system usually repeatedly over a period of time to intend to cause harm. When is something merely irritating and when does it become bullying? There is no easy answer to this question, and no silver bullet to solve the problem. However, the following steps can help HR professionals looking to deal with cyber bullying in the workplace.

1. Have clear goals that unite

Not all workplaces report cyber bullying as a problem. From my experience in understanding organizations, places where a committed workforce conducts semi-autonomous tasks rarely report bullying, cyber or other. Complaints of bullying usually arise when the exchange principles are not clear. In other words, how clear is it to each employee what is expected of them, how much support do they have to reach their goals, and how explicit are the rewards they will get in return for their labor (whether task oriented, contextual or emotional)? If all these are aligned in a particular system, then (cyber) bullying is rarely reported.

2. Update policies

A big misnomer in this field is that bullying can be eradicated – it cannot. Bullying at work is as much part of the organization as any other aspect of group behavior: productivity, collegiality and cooperation. So why do some workplaces have more of it than others? As I mention above, a workplace lacking in clear expectations is more prone to a workforce misbehaving. As in schools, the lack of direction quickly descends into a more chaotic space where the darker side of the human psyche is allowed more expression. Lack of structure allows bad behavior to flourish. A policy on dignity at work is part of that structure. However, make sure to update your policies. Most organizations will have an anti-bullying or dignity at work policy. Many of these will have been developed in the mid to late nineties. Technological communications have now moved on to such an extent that these policies are unlikely to address cyber bullying issues.

3. Teach cyber manners

There are, of course, various things employees can do to prevent cyber bullying, too. Following are cyber manners that can be encouraged through learning and development programs:

• •

  Perspective taking – other people are not necessarily wrong, they are just different (you would be surprised how many people do not actually believe this). While you are typing your e-mail you may be on your own, but unlimited numbers of people could potentially see your e-mail. Just think how an angry e-mail might look in court.

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  Time – take time to respond if you are unsure. Handheld devices entice us to respond immediately, which may include shooting from the hip. If in doubt, send the message to yourself and read it an hour later. Then send it, if you still want to.

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  Escalation – online, things can get rapidly out of hand, particularly if the correspondence is emotionally charged and with a group. “Flame war” is the term used to describe flaming that gets out of hand – the rapid no-holds-barred responses that become highly charged in a group. To prevent this, some organizations have disabled the “reply-all” functionality, so individuals have to deliberately consider each person who is included in the message.

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  Keep task-focused in your e-mail correspondence. And remember, sometimes, face time is best.

4. Mobilize bystanders

Organizations need to mobilize bystanders in the containment of bullying. A large, and mostly silent, majority witnesses incivilities at work on a daily basis. Whether it is forwarding an inappropriate e-mail as a joke, someone being sent to Coventry or full-on flaming, bystanders can influence the bullying behaviors. Sending a link to the organization’s anti-bullying policy, for example, can do a lot to calm the waters. Encourage staff to send any particularly nasty e-mails to HR to ask for advice. Ultimately, containing bullying needs culture change – and this happens when everyone changes their behavior somewhat.

5. Have an escalation process

Teach employees to deal with the problem and understand when to ask for help by following these steps:

1. 1.

   Ask yourself if there are any other explanations for the bad behavior.

2. 2.

   Keep a record of the instances, including your response.

3. 3.

   If online, take a screen grab.

4. 4.

   Above all, do something – this is not going to go away by itself. Talk to HR, do not confront the perpetrator.

About the author

Dr Andreas Liefooghe is Head of the Department of Organizational Psychology and Assistant Dean at Birkbeck, University of London. He has researched bullying at work since 1997, in particular focusing on the role of the organization. He currently convenes an ESRC-sponsored Seminar Series called “Vulnerable Selves, Disciplining Others: New Approaches to Bullying at Work” (visit www.bbk.ac.uk/bullying for details). Andreas Liefooghe can be contacted at: a.liefooghe@bbk.ac.uk