SYNOPSIS

I have simplified the definition of bullying and am looking for an organization that can handle a national campaign to draw attention to the problem of adult bullying.  If you are reading this latest blog post I would like any suggestions for accomplishing this goal.  The following is the campaign proposal:

A.      The Problem

Bullying is commonly thought of as a childhood problem.   If, however, bullying is defined as the arbitrary use of power that results in hurting, intimidating and/or tyrannizing another or others, it becomes evident that bullying affects people of both genders, and of all ages, classes, races, ethnic backgrounds, and sexual orientations.   Power that can be used to abuse takes different forms.  These include authoritative power, economic power, emotional power, fire power (gun possession), peer pressure, persuasive power, physical size and/or strength, political power, social status, withholding the truth.

        Q.  What do abuse, arson, breaking and entering, coercion, discrimination, espionage, false accusations, harassment, hazing, hostile take-overs, insider trading, kidnapping, murder, price fixing, police brutality, reckless driving, road rage, robbery, slavery, unlawful imprisonment, vandalism and violence have in common?

        A.  They are all arbitrary uses of power resulting in harm, intimidation or tyrannizing, i.e. bullying.

        Fortunately, many of the above examples of bullying are punishable under law.  But that is not true of all forms of bullying.  For example, corporate officials operating on the theory that their primary duty is to increase profit for the stockholders or owner of their company tend to make arbitrary decisions that hurt other people.  When businesses market products and/or services that they know are harmful to the public good and/or to the environment, it is bullying.  When government officials with political motives make arbitrary decisions that result in the public good being threatened, it is bullying.  In fact, some decisions of politicians and judges have supported the bullying actions of corporations.  Bullying that is not against the law happens daily.  Nor do all law-breaking bullies get caught and punished.

B.      The Solution

Must we allow bullying to persist in this country?  Do we want corporate bullies to eventually control the entire political/economic system in order to maximize the financial gains of the richest Americans?  Edmund Burke said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.  Based on the principle that “All men are created equal”, bullying is an evil injustice.

Instead of accepting bullying as inevitable, why not mount an anti-bullying campaign that would give people the opportunity to take an anti-bullying pledge?  The pledge could read as follows:

“I stand against bullying no matter what form it takes.  I will not use my power to practice, to promote, nor to support bullying.  Furthermore, I refuse to support those who bully.”  This pledge could be posted on library bulletin boards all over the country with instructions on how to sign the pledge on-line.  An alternative would be to get a copy of the pledge at the circulation desk, sign and mail it in.

I would be more than willing to create a beginning draft of an informational pamphlet or booklet on adult bullying and to help edit such a document.

Another aspect of an adult anti-bullying campaign could be lists of the worst ten bullies of 2013.  One list could be American bullies.   The other list, published at a different time, could be of bullies in the rest of the world.   Nominations could be accepted from interested parties.  This would help to increase awareness of the various manifestations of bullying.

The goal of the campaign would be to make bullying more recognizable in ourselves and others, regardless of the form it takes and to make bullying in any form socially unacceptable in all situations and circumstances.