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The Development of an Eating Disorder

There are many environmental, cultural, psychological and biological factors which combine in different ways in the development of an eating disorder. These factors can be divided into three factors, as seen below in Figure 1. Important factors which predispose a person to developing an eating disorder include being female, living in Western society, being an […]

Series: Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are complex, multifaceted physical and mental health problems. Their development usually involves a number of different contributing and perpetuating factors. The exact processes are unclear and is it uncertain how they interact to develop or maintain an eating disorder (Fairburn & Harrison, 2003). Contributing factors could include one or a combination of physical, […]

Workplace Harassment: Tanya’s Case Study

Tanya is an 18 year old girl who works part time in a shoe store to pay her way through university. The manager is Brad a 29 year old, fit looking man who is a real go-getter can-do sort of personality. Tanya is by contrast quite shy and very well mannered. Tanya asked Brad one […]

Workplace Harassment: Jack’s Case Study

Jack is a 59 year old single male who is a manager in a busy retail firm. Jack feels that life has passed him by a bit. He is regarded as a good manager but he has no ambitions at his stage of life to advance any more. He has worked for the firm for […]

Workplace Bullying: Effective Resposes

Here are some recommendations to effectively deal with workplace bullying or harassment. In the next post, we’ll explore a case study example of preferred options. Learn about people and their personalities — so that you don’t become a serial victim of another person’s bullying or harassing behaviour. Refer back to the work of Brinkman & […]

Workplace Harassment: Leanne’s Case Study

The following case study is based loosely around a real story but the people and the circumstances are fictional. Leanne is a 48 year old woman who is one of two product managers in a major computer parts facility. Leanne has excellent qualifications and experience as a manager in the computer sales industry. However she […]

Workplace Bullying: Ineffective Responses

Defining ineffective options is really difficult because there is not a lot of research evidence to guide people about what are effective and ineffective responses to workplace harassment and bullying in context (Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, 2000: 35). Obviously becoming mentally ill and suicidal should be considered as ineffective responses and a […]

Graduate Story: Louise Gourley

AIPC Graduate Louise Gourley shares her story… “The six million dollar question when you’re doing this course (Diploma of Professional Counselling) is – will it lead to a paying job and how will I get one. Actually, that’s two questions, but you get the picture. I think just about every conversation I had with fellow […]

Bullying and Your Health

According to Field ([2002-2004, Web site (accessed 21/08/06): www.bullyonline.org/workbully/amibeing.htm): ‘Bullying causes injury to health and makes you ill. How many of these symptoms do you have? Constant high levels of stress and anxiety Frequent illness such as viral infections especially flu and glandular fever, colds, coughs, chest, ear, nose and throat infections (stress plays havoc with […]

Bullying Behaviours

Let’s identify some key elements of a bully in the following list, adapted from Witheridge’s (2001: 4) outline of open versus hidden bullying. Open Bullying Behaviours Physical violence Shouting or swearing at someone in public or private Instant rages over trivial matter Humiliating someone in front of colleagues Ignoring or isolating someone in public deliberately […]

Why Do People Harass and Bully?

Brinkman and Kirshner (2003: 7) argue that depending upon goals and intentions of people in an organisation for example certain personality characteristics and behaviours emerge depending upon what a task may entail. They claim that there are 4 intentions that people use in their lives in order to function in undertaking tasks. They include: Get […]

What is Bullying Then?

Source: www.bullyonline.org/workbully/amibeing.htm “Constant nit-picking, fault-finding and criticism of a trivial nature – the triviality, regularity and frequency betray bullying; often there is a grain of truth (but only a grain) in the criticism to fool you into believing the criticism has validity, which it does not; often, the criticism is based on distortion, misrepresentation or fabrication. […]

Series: Coping with Workplace Harassment

“Bullying is a compulsive need to displace aggression and is achieved by the expression of inadequacy (social, personal, interpersonal, behavioural, professional) by projection of that inadequacy onto others through control and subjugation (criticism, exclusion, isolation etc). Bullying is sustained by abdication of responsibility (denial, counter-accusation, pretence of victimhood) and perpetuated by a climate of fear, […]