I don't know about you, but I believe that civility has declined dramatically over the last decade. Today, it is commonplace to have people try to shove you out of the way on the highway or deride you electronically. I think that our society is becoming more and more depersonalized. Because of that, we feel freer to disrespect each other and to attempt to dominate or control situations. Also, this behavior is modeled from the top down. Look at the way the media and the politicians treat each other. Our nation is more polarized now than it was in the 60s.
As a byproduct of this culture of hate that is erupting in our county, there has been a drastic increase in workplace and school violence and bullying.
A startling 37% of American workers--roughly 54 million people--have been bullied at work according to a 2007 survey by the Workplace Bullying Institute. The consequences of such bullying have spread to families, and other institutions and cost organizations reduced creativity, low morale and increased turnover. According to the Institute, 40% of the targets of bulling never told their employers, and of those that did, 62% reported that they were ignored.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201011/bullying-and-culture-incivility. The numbers have gotten worse since 2007. For me, there are two shocking statistics here. First, that 54 million people have been bullied at work. Second, that only 40 percent reported it and of those, almost two-thirds were ignored.
I remember a case where a loading dock worker was being bullied by his foreman. He reported it to their supervisor. Instead of helping, the supervisor told the dock forman who made fun of my client for complaining - calling him a momma's boy. Ultimately, when I got involved and senior management learned of the situation, it was quickly dealth with. My client, however, never really recovered from the situation and ultimately left for another job - lesser paying - because the foreman remained his direct superior.
We all know that there are bullies. We grew up with a few. But, it seems that the number is increasing - as a percentage of the population. Why is it? Is it because the whole culture is becoming less civilized? Below is an excerpt from the article cited above. In it, the author argues just that.
Is bullying a reflection of a general decline in civility? In poll after poll, Americans have voiced concern over the erosion of civility. According to a poll by Weber Shandwick, 65% of Americans say the lack of civility is a major problem in the country and feel the negative tenor has worsened during the financial crisis and recession.
Pier M. Forni, author of The Civility Solution: What To Do When People Are Rude and director of The Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins University says, "In today's American, incivility is on prominent display: in the schools, where bullying is pervasive; in the workplace, where an increasing number are more stressed out by coworkers than their jobs; on the roads, where road rage mains and kills; in politics, where strident intolerance takes the place of earnest dialogue; and on the web, where man check their inhibitions at the digital door."
Gary Namie, a psychologist and co-founder of The Workplace Bullying Institute contends, "how in the world can we stop bullying in schools, in the workplace, in politics, when it is so close to our national character right now?"
Forni says the onslaught of rude, bullying and uncivil behavior--intensified by the 24/7 reach of the Internet and social media--adds to the stress people already feel and can translate into tragic consequences: "It becomes the kick-the-dog syndrome. You make the innocent pay for how badly you feel in order to find some kind of relief." Incivility and bullying behavior is also a precursor to physical violence, says Forni. According to the Department of Labor, there are 1.8 million acts of physical violence in the American workplace every year. According to Time magazine columnist Barton Gellman, threats against President Obama'slife brought him Secret Service protection at the earliest on record for any presidential candidate, and the number of extremist groups in the U.S. increased 244% in 2009.
Id. I think the writer is on to something. Maybe its because I'm from a different generation, but it seems to me that the rise of digital communication corrosponds to a proportional increase in rude behavior. I believe that the phrase "check their inhibitions at the digital door" nails the heart of the crisis. It is so easy to abuse people via the internet. We've seen teen suicides because of it.
We need to find a solution to this growing crisis. It must be a societal solution. Maybe we could start by employing the "golden rule": treat other people the way you would like to be treated.
If you or someone you know has been bullied or is being bullied at work or school, call us right away, we can help: 865-357-1949 - or email: rlvogel@robertvogellaw.com. Visit us at the The Vogel Law Firm
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