Bullying pervasive, expert warns

Bullying pervasive, expert warns
Koster was addressing a gathering of health care professionals to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women commemorating the murder of 14 female engineering students at L'Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal 21 yeas ago.
She said violence can spring from the common, day-to-day harassment, discrimination, sexism and intimidation that can happen in any workplace.
"Anyone can be the target," Koster said. "Don't underestimate how far someone can be pushed. Look at Columbine (high school in the U.S. where two students went on a shooting rampage). People can get to the point where they think someone's got to go and it's not me."
She pointed to the 1998 shooting at the Ottawa transit company OC Transpo, where an employee shot four co-workers and killed himself after living with constant bullying over a speech impediment.
But, she said, there are always warning signs. And bullying often stops short of physical violence but can be devastating to the victim's sense of well-being and self esteem, "depriving them of their dignity."
She gave examples of the more subtle kinds, including the act of isolating a co-worker through snubs, "the silent treatment" or outright discrimination.
"If someone punches you, you can act and call the police," said Koster. "What do you do with the silent treatment? Call 9-11? Isolation can be harder to take. How do you defend against something you can't see, the ice buildup that has you in the bathroom throwing up, when you would rather be anywhere on the planet than at work."