The “Bystander Approach” to Violence Prevention: Part Two By Patricia D. Biles, Executive Director, Alliance Against Workplace Violence


Last month, I began a series on the topic of “bystander intervention” in violent or potentially violent situations. The example I presented was that of a man who intervened in a shooting at a restaurant by throwing bar stools at the shooter. The tactic created a delay and allowed two or three other customers an opportunity to escape. Even though the gunman was aiming at him, the bystander was not injured.


The Advocacy Center at Syracuse University (http://advocacycenter.syr.edu) helps bystanders learn approaches to intervention, most of which carry no risk of personal injury or harm. Their goal is to empower bystanders to recognize that they have more options available to them than to intervene physically, possibly exposing themselves to personal harm, or doing nothing. Many, if not most, people decide to do nothing when witnessing a potentially harmful situation. When this happens we should not judge them, but rather try to understand why they would choose not to intervene. Many people believe that when a crisis arises “people will rise to the occasion,” more often than not people will rise to the level of their preparation. That is why training is very important. Training employees to think ahead about multiple ways to respond to any situation will empower them to respond to violence or abuse by others rather than remaining passive and silent.


To read more, click here *The above image is from NIOSH publication: Violence on the Job, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/violence/


WORKPLACE VIOLENCE NEWS continued Woman Killed in Ark. Workplace Shooting


A woman is accused of fatally shooting a co-worker at an Arkansas plant after the two apparently had an earlier altercation. Lillie Foots-Wilson shot Latange Long and is being held on a first-degree murder charge. Both women worked within earshot of each other, running plastic injection molding presses. The women got into a fight at some point, though authorities are still investigating what they were arguing about. Foots-Wilson then left work saying she was sick and returned a short while later with a revolver. Foots-Wilson’s husband said Long had bullied his wife and that the company didn’t handle the situation between the two women well. Company spokesman, Chris Hart, said there had been some disagreements between the two of them before they started working the same shift, but he said he didn't know of any bullying.


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HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY NEWS


Canada: RN’s Harassment And Bullying of RPNs Was "Subtle" And "Insidious": Arbitrator Refuses To Reinstate


In 2010, the Peterborough Regional Health Centre decided to reduce costs by replacing 20% of RNs on the dialysis unit with RPNs who have a narrower scope of practice and earn less money. In a recent case, an RN (the grievor), engaged in intimidation and bullying of RPNs in the dialysis unit over a six-week period. The employer terminated her employment. The union grieved the termina- tion. The arbitrator stated that "In this matter the grievor's actions were extremely subtle, and in that sense were extremely insidious. Bullying and harassment can consist of a single incident, or a series of repeated incidents both of which can have great impact upon the victim of the behavior.”


The primary reason for not reinstating the grievor was that her actions were persistent over a period of time and that she did not accept any responsibility for her actions. This decision is some comfort to employers who are frustrated by the inability to "prove" bullying and harassment that is done subtly and insidiously. Where the evidence shows a number of single incidents which, on their own, seem mild, but together add up to an insidious pattern, discharge may be justified.


To read more, click here


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