Good evening,

I have been thinking about what to write on here tonight.
I want to explore the issue of bullying. Many people on these (anti-docs) forums have expressed there concern that they have been bullied by CSO and other docs workers.

So what is bullying? You might have a better idea than me. You can do a google search and really read around this subject.
Bullying is coercion and manipulation. It is threatening towards the person on the receiving end. It can be verbal or physical.
It is often the abuse of power over someone who has a less social standing than you. Using one's power to stand over someone who is in the receipt of their care - if you were a nurse like me. Often bullies have little power in their own lives.

Then there is this concept called transference and counter transference. These are psych. terms. And it means stepping out of your professional role and can mean (in the case of counter transference - think accross the counter to the client) giving prefential treatment or less than your reasonable care to someone.
Transference to me is when a client seems to form some of attachment to me because I might remind them of someone in their past. The client can respond to me favourably because I remind them of their (for eg) kind old aunty or unfavourably to me (because I remind them subconsciously of someone they hated in their past).

So as a professional and when acting in a role when dealing with a broad range of people it is imperative to be insightful into one's behaviours to clients. So enter peer review, supervision and the practice of reflection on one's interventions with other human beings.

And as my psych. lecturer often said so it is now etched in my mind "and whose needs are we meeting?".

Then there is the awareness of modelling behaviours for junior and other staff. Inexperienced/ junior staff are impressionable. If the managers have poor insight into their own professional behaviours, negative counter transference, bullying tactics then the junior staff receive the message that this is the correct way in which to deal with issues and client.

Get where I am coming from?
I actually feel sorry for these inexperienced CSO types who throw their weight around.
They are setting themselves up for code of conduct issues.
They are making themselves liable through their unaccountability and poor standards of ethical practices.
It's not good enough to say 'oh this is the way I was taught".
It's not good enough to not question why you are instructed to do procedures that are contrary to what is written in the policy manual, legislation pertaining to your field of employment.

I have seen recently whereby students and new staff don't stand up for themselves. They are not assertive. This would be the same for other department whether it is nursing or child protection agencies.

It is not good enough for these supervisors and team leader types to be leading by POOR EXAMPLE.
It is not good enough for the government to allow this to happen anymore.

Stand up and be accountable, stand up for change.
Change can start from the bottom up to management.

There is no excuse anymore.