Theorizing Active Bystanders as Change Agents in Workplace Bullying of Social Workers

Abstract

This article analyses data on bystanders that emerged from a qualitative research project undertaken with 17 social workers who had been targets of workplace bullying. During presentations of the findings, questions that arose from practitioners included: Why do bystanders remain silent? and How may helpful responses be evoked? These questions led to a further review of the literature about the part bystanders play in school and workplace bullying, revealing the finding that bystanders may remain silent because they are simply uncertain about how they can assist when bullying occurs. Workplace wide interventions that educate workers about the negative impact of passivity and help them to become active peer supporters may be particularly effective in overcoming this serious workplace problem.