I am not a person who is frightened very easily. In fact, after working in a couple of closed wards in a Mental Health facility (that’s what they were known as then) I learnt not to show fear, even when I felt it.
I had an experience not long ago that taught me a new perspective and gave me a new understanding of what it might feel like to be bullied. The driver of my local garbage recycling truck took umbrage to where my car was parked and let me know it loudly, crudely, and abusively. My instinct was to stand my ground and so I walked in front of the truck and made a grand gesture of writing down his registration number which made him yell louder and more foully.
After he and I parted in different directions I felt a hint of unease and returned to move my car thinking there was a very real chance that he would return and do some spiteful damage. I decided not to report the behavior to his employer after all everyone has a bad day now and then.
Two weeks passed and rubbish day came round again; I parked my car in a different place that day, some distance from my usual park and the site of the previous altercation.
As I walked to the office I suddenly realized: I had hidden my car in fear of retribution; I was actually afraid and the swearing, abusing truck driver had made me feel this way.
I thought: if I feel this way after a relatively minor altercation what must it be like to be subjected to ongoing abuse or to be consistently targeted by a bully at work.
Our front-page story this month looks at bullying in the work place. The topic does not receive a lot of recognition in Local Government but this month our focus is on Training and Professional Development providing an ideal opportunity to highlight the issue and identify the range of resources available to councils.
