Bullying

[Malcolm]

I have found a good website that help me, They are nothing to do with the MOD totally independent hay chaps now we can make sure nothing gets back to the MOD. They have even help abroad so guys contact them and see what they can do


www.forces-helpline.com

 

[TCBF]

"Dammit, they've disbanded the elit bigfoot unit? Where will I go now?"

Think YOU'RE inconvenienced? , we had to cancel our TD swan to go and teach an Observer/Controller Course there.

Tom

 

[Centurian1985]

People tend to forget that while there are some actual incidents of bullying and assault (no society can totally escape violence), a lot of the inflammatory issues are being pushed by people with their own axe to grind. 

What people need to ask when they see these articles is "who's footing the bill"?  A lot of these inflamed issues can be traced ethnic adn special interest groups exagerrating issues just t push their own agendas.

On the flip side, bullying, harassment and abuse of authority occurs in all walks of life and in all trades of the military.  Most people just dont recognize it when they see it or label it as 'thats normal for our guys', when what they see as normal is in fact not normal, they've only gotten acclimated to it. What a lot of people dont realize is that when people act out or speak in a way that belittles, insults, degrades or harasses a fellow soldier, they are actually psychologically expressing their true opinions.  Saying 'I was only kidding' is a form of denial of responsibility for the beliefs they just finished expressing. 

 

[Cliff]

If I am not mistaken, the CF went through a similar transition back in the 70's, where the CF was 'old school' and bullying was a problem. After those changes, many of those problems disappeared. Am I correct about this?

I'd be inclined to say that the CF wasn't politically correct,  but the bullying part may be a stretch ;D  I can't speak for every branch of service = but more than a few hardened kids from broken homes made it through the Infantry ranks. It was probably the best thing for them.   

 

[Centurian1985]

I agree its not like it used to be, but since 1990 Ive had to talk to a few people Ive worked with when they crossed the line from a few fun gags to a level of harassment that was damaging to unit integrity (when people turn their back and walk away from the guy cracking the jokes beacuse they dont want to be involved in whats going on but at the same time dont say anything because they're afraid of being ostracised themselves, you know youve got a problem!).  In one case less than five years ago I had to give some straight talk to an MWO who thought he was the life of the party (which he was), but he was crossing the line with some of his references to female soldiers (specifically about one of the female officers), who heard the remarks, was offended, and could have had the man prosecuted, but allowed me to deal with it.  I find most problems nowadays are from guys who just arent thinking when they're having a few laughs.