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Lets Stand Together To Stop Bullying

A tool to start discussion

This is a guide for you to introduce the topic of

bullying in meetings and conversations, using

the NO BULLYING ZONE door hanger sign.

• You can show slides 6–29 in your meeting or conversation to guide your discussion.

• Please be familiar with the content before starting a discussion, so that you get the best results.

• The next slide shows how slides 6–29 will work for you …

Symbols and visual cues to guide the discussion:

• When words on a slide are in italics like this they show that you should read this aloud to your colleagues.

• This symbol means that there is more content on the next slide which will continue or complete a discussion point.

• This symbol always appears with a question mark too. As the facilitator, you ask the question and then allow time for answers and discussion before moving to the next slide.

• This symbol means that someone must read out aloud so that all can hear.

• This symbol indicates that the slide contains information which should be read out aloud to compare to the answers from the discussions.

Setting up:

• Make sure you have the printed NO BULLYING ZONE door hanger sign so that you can pass it around for all to see.

• If you are going to use the slides in the discussion or conversation, make sure that you are able to show them so that all can see.

• If you are not using your laptop/computer to show the slides, have the presentation saved on a memory stick.

Making a record:

• Please make a simple record of conversations or discussions that you facilitate with the NO BULLYING ZONE door hanger sign. Make a record of the following:

• How many people attended?

• Did you discuss all of the bullying behaviours on the list?

• Did the people think that the discussion was useful?

• Did they think that after the discussion they knew more about bullying than before?

• Please send a report on each discussion you have to:culture@transnet.net

Let’s discuss the issue

The NO BULLYING ZONE door hanger sign:

“Can we get agreement to hang this?”

• Pass it around and read it

It’s on the screen too …

What it says: (Will someone volunteer to read it aloud?)

• No intimidation, undermining or harassment

• No humiliating comments

• No malicious gossip

• No shouting or abusive language

• No abuse of power

• No favouritism or victimisation

• No unfair exclusion

• No unreasonable demands

Are any of these practices/behaviours acceptable?

• No intimidation, undermining or harassment

• No humiliating comments

• No malicious gossip

• No shouting or abusive language

• No abuse of power

• No favouritism or victimisation

• No unfair exclusion

• No unreasonable demands

Let’s see how our answers compare with the following …

Bullying behaviours

• None of the practices/behaviours in the list is acceptable to Transnet even if they are not targeted or repeated.

• If they take place and are not recognised and spoken about, they can become bullying.

Bullying behaviours

• Bullying happens when one or more of the practices/behaviours in the list are targeted by someone towards a specific person or people, and are repeated.

• However, if one or more of the bullying practices are repeated by an individual as a general pattern of conduct/behaviour towards others, (without specific targeting) it is also regarded as bullying.

What will it mean if we put the sign on the door?

Let’s discuss it:

If we put the sign on the door:

1. What will it say to someone entering this venue?

2. What will it say about us?

Let’s see how our answers compare with the following …

The NO BULLYING ZONE door hanger sign:

If we put the sign on the door:

1. It will say to someone entering this venue that this is a place where no bullying takes place, or is tolerated or accepted.

The NO BULLYING ZONE door hanger sign:

If we put the sign on the door:

2. It will say that we guarantee not to bully and will not tolerate or accept bullying by anyone.

The NO BULLYING ZONE door hanger sign:

• So if we hang the sign on the door it’s a guarantee and commitment made by us.

But …

The NO BULLYING ZONE door hanger sign:

Q. How do we know whether we all have the same understanding of what bullying is?

A. By talking about what’s on the list …

Can anyone give examples of how these bullying practices happen?

• No intimidation, undermining or harassment

• No humiliating comments

• No malicious gossip

• No shouting or abusive language

• No abuse of power

• No favouritism or victimisation

• No unfair exclusion

• No unreasonable demands

Talk about the following:

• How does it take place?

• What is said and done when it takes place?

• What identifies it as bullying?

Let’s try to talk about all of them.

Let’s see how our answers compare with the following …

Understanding what bullying is:

Intimidation: The implied or stated threat of negative, harmful, compromising consequences if unreasonable, unfair or inappropriate demands or instructions are not complied with.

Undermining: Repeated and unnecessary criticism, comments or reporting aimed at creating a negative perception of a person’s or people’s competence, authority or intentions.

Harassment: Repeated, unnecessary and unwanted conduct which affects the dignity of the person or people who are targeted on the basis of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, race, language, religion or belief.

Understanding what bullying is:

Humiliating comments: Unnecessary and unwanted comments about a person or people that aims to embarrass them or make them feel ashamed, exposed or compromised.

Malicious gossip: The unnecessary and unwanted sharing of information about a person or people that is unsubstantiated or private.

Shouting and abusive language: The unnecessary act of raising one’s voice, swearing or using inappropriate language to assert control when engaging with a person or people.

Understanding what bullying is:

Abuse of power: Acting in a way which intends to make others believe or accept that the perpetrator’s authority allows him or her to practise bullying, discriminatory, inappropriate or irregular behaviours.

Favouritism: The act of unfairly and inappropriately giving advantage or favours to a person or certain people in the workplace.

Victimisation: The act of unfairly targeting a person or people for criticism, inappropriate allocation of tasks, discrimination or other bullying behaviours.

Understanding what bullying is:

Unfair exclusion: Deliberately not including a person or people in processes or procedures they should normally be involved in; also not including them in communication or access to opportunities.

Unreasonable demands: Demands that are deliberately made in the knowledge that they are unusually difficult or impossible to perform, inappropriate or irregular. The aim is to make a person or people feel victimised, compromised, disempowered and unhappy.

So do we agree?

• Do we all have a sufficient understanding of bullying?

• Do we agree that we can hang the sign on the door?

The NO BULLYING ZONE door hanger sign:

• If we agree, let’s go ahead and hang the sign.

• If we don’t agree, it means the discussion about bullying should continue another time.

What did we learn?

• Was this discussion useful?

• Do we know more about bullying than we knew before?

The NO BULLYING ZONE door hanger sign:

• Thank you for taking part in the discussion.

• Please discuss the topic with others too. And read about it in the Masihambe magazine.

If there was anything you did not want to

discuss in front of others, contact the EAP:

0800 000 408

Thank you