Dunn School Reaffirms Stance Towards Anti-Bullying
As part of National Anti-Bullying Week, the Dunn School emphasized its commitment towards addressing issues of bullying and harassment in the workplace by gathering the department together for an afternoon coffee on Tuesday the 12th of November.
During the event, students and staff enjoyed refreshments and snacks, and engaged in exercises discussing hypothetical bullying scenarios provided by the Dunn School Anti-Bullying and Harassment Working Group.
The highlight of the event was a short speech by Professor Lucy Bowes of Experimental Psychology, who shared some insights from her research on bullying among students in schools that might be applicable to the workspace.
“Be an active bystander,” she urged. “Even though most of us think we don’t participate in or condone bullying, most of us have all been in a ‘uncomfortable situation’ and remained silent.” Once enough people feel empowered enough to act out against perceived bullying, intentional or not, an environment that resists bullying and harassment will emerge.
Professor Bowes, keeping with the theme of this year’s Anti-Bullying Week, “Change Starts With Us,” recognized that in order to foster this culture, changes need to occur both bottom up and top down, especially in a hierarchical environment like a sciences department.
After a brief question and answer session, the coffee break concluded with the announcement that the Dunn School’s Good Citizenship Award would continue again this year, to recognize upstanding members of the department.
As part of the continued efforts to raise awareness about bullying, Dr. Emily Furlong, the Chair of the Anti-Bullying and Harassment Working Group, sent out short videos or articles each day of the week on topics related to bullying. Members of the department also proudly sported mismatched socks on Tuesday, participating in “Odd Socks Day” to acknowledge and celebrate what makes one unique. Additionally, the department proudly displayed its support of these efforts by flying the Anti-Bullying Week flag above the department.
Written by Derek Xu
