I just handed in my paper for the mini portfolio for my class project. All references were cited. here is a sample:
Abstract
This paper examines the effects of bullying on concentration and productivity while performing tasks. The Methodology conducted was observation, research of scholarly journals, surveys and interviews in order to reach conclusions.
Sample group were adults. Possible solutions to ameliorate a situation are offered.
Benefits include resolution to conflict and a greater understanding of each other’s values and creating a more compassionate environment. Discover techniques for a kinder method of communication among members.
Keywords: Bullying; Student Attitudes; Antisocial Behavior; Peer Relationship; Attention Span; Study Habits; Gender Differences
Auxiliary Words: Human Resources, employee rights, workplace violence,; Student Attitudes; Antisocial Behavior; Peer Relationship.
Research Question
Does bullying cause a loss of concentration and productivity?
Conflict Story
The conflict story takes place between two sisters: an older sibling and a younger one.
I have been the recipient of bullying and as a result, my focus and concentration were lessened because I was concerned about an attack, my anxiety level raised. I would like to see if there are qualitative, quantitative and empirical studies to back up my psychological phenomenon and conduct interviews with others to glean their experience with bullying and concentration.
The conflict story I am going to focus on has to do with a family of a mother with two daughters differing in age of six years.
Person 1: The mother is divorced and the divorce had a profound effect on the older daughter. Mother just wants daughters to “get along” and does not confront unacceptable behavior. She “co-signs”, which means she doesn’t hold the dysfunctional behavior accountable, because she doesn’t like conflict. She is 81 years old.
Person 2: The older daughter witnessed a great deal of yelling, abuse when young and loss of control of her situation. She never sought any therapy; instead, she became promiscuous and married and divorced four times and had three children from different fathers. She is also very controlling, meddling in her mother’s, children’s and sister’s lives. Older sister treats younger sister with disrespect, violates boundaries and is narcissistic. She doesn’t understand recovery principles nor doesn’t want to. She is 52 years old.
Person 3: The second child became an alcoholic, went into recovery and is maintaining her sobriety. She also became a Christian. Younger sister thinks she is in the right and knows it all and does not practice compassion. She is angry and lets anger color her outlook on the situation and is unable to reframe it to see others points of views. She is 46 years old.
Setting: California, 2011, at elderly mother’s house.
Mother (age 81). Catholic, Hispanic and Italian heritage, retired. Owns the house.
Father (deceased) alcoholic who got sober then became food addict. Irish catholic but not practicing.
Older sister (52). Married, three children. Lives with husband in Westland Hills.
Younger sister (46). Recovering alcoholic, Christian, lives with the mother, helps take care of her, works and goes to school.
The conflict occurred the week before Thanksgiving of 2009. The older sister comes to visit with her side of the family and acts disrespectfully toward younger sister. Younger sister has had enough of this disrespectful behavior and decides to set boundaries and confront older sister with her behavior, something the mother has never done. An argument ensues and the truth comes out, vociferously. After insults, put downs, and verbally abusive statements are made, the two daughters stop speaking to each other. Older sister sends younger sister a threatening email saying that” if younger sister ever sees older sister’s car in driveway, she better drive right on by.” This causes panic in younger sister since younger sister has no place to go and affects her safety.
The younger daughter is working and going to school despite the accusation the she is “mooching off the mother.” The fight causes the younger sister’s concentration to waver and as a result, because she cannot read reports, and is snappy with co-workers. This causes a drop in grades and reprimands at work.
Studies have shown that bullying and harassment result in loss of productivity and concentration (Fisher,2008; Hauser, 2011).
Resolution: Currently, the two sisters are cold but cordial to each other for the sake of the mother, who is currently receiving chemotherapy treatments for cancer. Younger sister is in a 12 step program and prays and meditates, but still harbors and angry spirit and needs further counseling. She avoids older sister at all costs. Older sister tends to her own family and still tries to meddle and invades boundaries. Other family members have addressed this. Her husband is supportive and loving. Mother takes care of herself physically and financially. Watches television a lot and communicates with family and friends. Mother has started to pray because of the cancer.
Literature Review
Studies have shown (Bennet, 2007, Boulton, 2008, Jace, 2011) that bullying is increasingly recognized as a major cause of stress and loss of concentration and productivity.
According to the American Psychological Association which just held its conference on May 19-22, 2011 in OrlandoFlorida(http://www.workplacebullying.org/2011/05/16/wsh-2/), manifestations of bullying at work are:
- physical intimidation
- shouting and swearing
- threatening body language
- sexist, racial or age-related harassment
- persistent public and/or private criticism or ridicule.
- seeking complaints about the bullied individual from other members of staff
- deriding the value of the victim’s contributions to the organizations work
- giving a person jobs that they cannot reasonably be expected to complete satisfactorily, and then claiming that the individual is incompetent.
- allocating menial tasks
- refusing to communicate directly to the victim, and insist that instruction
- sabotaging or impeding the victim’s work performance
- applying excessively tight supervision
- increasing the victim’s workload and/or setting impossible deadlines
The mental effects of bullying can include:
- depression
- anxiety
- loss of concentration, motivation and self-confidence
- feelings of anger and hostility towards colleagues and the employing firm
The physical effects of bullying can include:
- insomnia
- fatigue
headaches - skin rashes
- ulcers
The bullies in the schoolyard grow up and sometimes take their behavior into the workplace. This, according to the website www.workplacebullying.org, can lead to absenteeism, sickness, and loss of communication, a poorly effective work environment that costs money and a hostile working environment opening the company up to lawsuits.
There are solutions however. A person can make an appointment of a company ‘ombudsperson’ with whom victims may discuss their experiences in total confidence. This person would have direct access to the upper echelons of the company. A formal grievance procedure specifically designed to deal with bullying, the human resources department can make a provision for rapid deployment of victims to alternative jobs, counseling – of the bully – followed by the possibility of disciplinary proceedings if their behavior does not improve. This information is gleaned from http://www.crisisprevention.com/Blogs/CPI-Executive-Blog/February-2011/School-Bullying-and-Our-New-Nonviolent-Crisis-Inte
There is also literature (Ridley & Bennet, 2011) on the subject about developing a theoretical framework.
Bullies see themselves as entitled and powerful and will use intimidation tactics to get their way. Many people, who do not like direct confrontation or are scared, will allow themselves to be bullied because the other person may or may not have authority over them. Also, Egan and Perry (1998) say that bullies keep a look out for whom they can attack. If a person has low regard for himself, he may set himself up as a target and the bully knows that a person with low self-esteem may not fight back. The energy it takes to avoid or confront bullies, is mental energy and time spent in thoughts and actions which are a distraction to the student or employee in doing their tasks. It also takes bravery because many people fear backlash and retaliation (Halperin, Russell, Dweck, and Gross, 2011).
Boulton (2008) did a quantitative study which showed that pupil’s perception of bullying disrupted their social peer relationships, their concentration on school work and caused disruptions. Also, according to Keep Schools Safe, a website dedicated to “provide a resource on violence in schools for teachers, school administrators, parents, and students,”
bullying can lead teenagers to feel tense, anxious, and afraid. It can affect their concentration in school, and can lead them to avoid school in some cases. If bullying continues for some time, it can begin to affect teens’ self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. It also can increase their social isolation, leading them to become withdrawn and depressed, anxious and insecure. In extreme cases, bullying can be devastating for teens, with long-term consequences. Some teens feel compelled to take drastic measures, such as carrying weapons for protection or seeking violent revenge. Others, in desperation, even consider suicide. Researchers have found that years later, long after the bullying has stopped, adults who were bullied as teens have higher levels of depression and poorer self-esteem than other adults. (http://keepschoolssafe.org/students/bullying.htm, 2011)
Rigby (2001) backs up this claim with her study about the plight of the vulnerable and victimized in her book about the health consequences of bully victims.
At a personal level, a person who is being bullied can confront the bully or go to the police and file a restraining order or get into a support group, such as Boundaries or read the book Dealing with the Crazy Makers in Your Life. In the book Dealing with the Crazy Makers in Your Life, author David Hawkins suggests setting boundaries, confronting the person, mirroring back their behavior, speaking statements of truth which are threatening to a person in denial or hypocrisy and not allow yourself to get sucked into the “emotional vampirism.” A person could go to their parents; however, parents have their own problems. Many women find themselves in abusive situations. There is some literature (Baker, 2010) on how to counsel Christian women caught in an abusive relationship. This book shows there is a place in the Christian church for women to separate and to be divorced without losing their faith. There are also community resources (Pillai& Berry, 2008) for uneducated or under-educated women.
References
Baker, L. (2010) Counseling Christian women on how to deal with domestic violence. Australian Academic Press: Bowen Hills, QLD, Australia.
Barling, J., Dekker, I., Loughlin, C., Kelloway, K., Fullagor, C., & Johnson, D. (1996). Prediction and replication of the organizational and personal consequences of workplace sexual harassment. Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol 11(5), pp. 4-25, doi: 10.1108/02683949610124771
Baxter, L., Hughes, C. & Tight, M. (2006). How to research. Berkshire, England: Open University Press. Retrieved from http://0-site.ebrary.com.torofind.csudh.edu/lib/csudh/docDetail.action?docID=10196987
Boulton, M. (2008) Pupils’ perceptions of bullying and disruptions to concentration and attention to school work. Pastoral Care in Education, 26(2), p83-89.
Denscombe, M. (2007). Good Research Guide. Open University Press Buckingham,GBR
Egan, S.K. and Perry, D.G. (1998). Does low self-regard invite victimization? Developmental Psychology, 34, 299-309.
Fisher, J. (2008). Workplace bullying: Aggressive behavior and its effect on job satisfaction and productivity. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, Vol 69(4-A),. pp. 1283.
Halperin, E., Russell, A., Dweck, C. and Gross, J. (2011) Anger, hatred, and the quest for peace: Anger can be constructive in the absence of hatred. The Journal of Conflict Resolution.55, (2), 274.
Hansen, A., Hogh, A., &Persson, R. (2011). Frequency of bullying at work, physiological response, and mental health. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Vol 70(1), pp. 19-27, doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2010.05.010.
| Hauser, S. (2011) The Degeneration of Decorum. . Workforce Management, Vol. 90, Iss. 1; pg. 16. |
Hawkins, D. (2008) Dealing with the crazymakers in your life. Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR.
Hurley, C., & Frank, M. (2011). Executing Facial Control During Deception Situations. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 35 (2)119-131. doi: 10.1007/s10919-010-0102-1
http://keepschoolssafe.org/students/bullying.htm , (2011), Retrieved June 3, 2011.
Levine, T., Kim, R., & Blair, P. (2010). (In)accuracy at Detecting True and False Confessions and Denials: An Initial Test of a Projected Motive Model of Veracity Judgments. Human Communication Research, 36, (1), 82-102. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2958.2009.01369.x
Matsunaga, M. (2009). Parents don’t (always) know their children have been bullied: Child-parent discrepancy on bullying and family-level profile of communication standards. Human Communication Research, 35(2), p221-247, doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2958.2009.01345.x
McGarry, C., Simpson, C. &Hinchliff-Smith, K. (2011). The impact of domestic abuse for older women: A review of the literature. Health & Social Care in the Community, 19(1), 3-14. Doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2524.2010.00964.x
Penning, S., Bhagwanjee, A., & Govender, K. (2010). Bullying boys: The traumatic effects of bullying in male adolescent learners. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 22(2), 131-143. doi: 10.2989/17280583.2010.528580
Pure, R. (2010) The psychological consequences of cyberbullying: Uncertainty in the CMC Context. Conference Papers — International Communication Association;
Ridley-Duff, R., & Bennet, A. (2011). Towards mediation: developing a theoretical framework to understand alternative dispute resolution. Industrial Relations Journal, 42, (2), 106-123. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2338.2011.00614.x
Rigby, K. (2001). Health consequences of bullying and its prevention in schools. In J. Juvonen and S. Graham, eds. Peer Harassment in School: The Plight of the Vulnerable and Victimized.New York,New York:Guilford Press.
Sinzinger, K. (Mar, 2011). Master the practice of peace. US News & World Report. Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/articles/2011/03/31/master-the-practice-of-peace.
http://www.workplacebullying.org/2011/05/16/wsh-2/
Yates, D., Pillai, V., & Berry, P. (2008). Mediation verses arrest approaches to domestic assault: Policy implications for addressing domestic abuse among under-educated and jobless offenders. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 33(2), 282-296. doi: 10.1007/s12103-008-9038-y
Zariski,A. (2010). A Theory Matrix for Mediators. Negotiation Journal, 26(2),203-235. Retrieved April 28, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID:2054010061).http://0-proquest.umi.com.torofind.csudh.edu/pqdweb?did=2054010061&sid=7&Fmt=6&clientId=17844&RQT=309&VName=PQD
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