Bullying

Bullying includes a range of systematic, often indirect and persistent discrediting and aggressive behaviors. Typical expressions of bullying include:

• Personal denigration and targeted harassment
  such as constantly interrupting, objecting to, or questioning someone

• Violation of personal integrity and dignity
  such as shaming or ridiculing someone to others, spreading rumors and smears

• Ostracizing
  such as deriding, deliberately ignoring, or excluding someone

• Unfair work or study conditions
  such as disproportionate assignment of work (intentionally demanding too much of someone or challenging them too little), withholding information

• Physical or verbal attacks
  such as threats, physical altercations, acts of violence

Bullying targets a specific person and is systematically carried out over a longer period of time. This makes bullying different from a labor conflict.

Victims of bullying suffer psychological and often also physical harm:

• Feelings of (intense) insecurity, negative effects on self-esteem, social withdrawal, post-traumatic symptoms such as sleep disorders, trouble concentrating, a drop in performance, stress, anxiety, emotional distress, and typically somatic complaints such as gastrointestinal problems and pain

• Signs of bullying in working life include more frequent absences, more illness-related absences, and longer periods of missing work because of burnout or stress-induced depression

• Set boundaries
  Address the situation as quickly as possible. Make it clear to the other person how you experience their actions or statements and ask them to stop this behavior.

• Document the events in writing
  Make a tabular note of what happened, when, who was present, under what circumstances and (if possible) what feelings it caused.

• Get help
  Talk to your superior, supervisor or your lecturer about the incidents. Alternatively, contact the Personal Integrity Office, which will treat your concern confidentially. People who contact the office decide for themselves what steps to take next.

As a superior, supervisor or lecturer you have an obligation to ensure a work and study environment that is free of bullying. What specific actions can you take?

• Be a role model
  Ensure a fair and respectful communication and conflict culture in your team or courses with factual, constructive feedback and comprehensible decisions.

• Set clear boundaries
  Address the situation as quickly as possible. Make it clear to the other person how you experience their actions or statements and ask them to stop this behavior.

• Refer to the Personal Integrity Office
  You are required by the relevant regulations to make your staff aware of the advisory services of the Personal Integrity Office.

• Do not look the other way
  Advocate for your staff and students. Set up a personal meeting with the person affected if you suspect bullying.

• Get support
  If you need advice in your specific role, contact the Personal Integrity Office.

All members of the University of Basel have an obligation to actively combat bullying.

• Support the person potentially affected
  Demonstrate solidarity with affected persons. It takes courage to defend oneself against both obvious and subtle bullying. Talk to the affected person if possible. Refer to the Code of Conduct.

• Bring up the topic
  Bring up the topic of your culture of collaboration at a team or departmental meeting or talk to other teaching staff about a non-discriminatory culture in a further training course.

• Advise                                                                                                                                              the person affected to contact University's Personal Integrity Office. University members receive confidential advice. People who contact the office decide for themselves what steps to take next.

• Listen
  Listen carefully to the person potentially affected and try to put yourself in their place. Consider whether your behavior was appropriate in that special situation.

• Reflect on your behavior
  Would you treat a person close to you (e.g. sister, friend) in the same way? How would your behavior be received there? Talk to a trusted person about the incident.

• Talk to the person potentially affected
  Open and honest conversation can be powerful. It is worth having a conversation in a public place such as a cafeteria. Alternatively, you can propose a moderated conflict conversation with a third person such as the Personal Integrity Office..

• Rights of the other party
  Accept that the person potentially affected has a right to defend themselves. Do not pressure them.