Bullying in The Church

Taking these factors into consideration I see enough cases coming through to the formal stages to give me grave concern.

The shocking fact is that once cases have got this far the mainstream Churches do not handle them at all well. Most churches still have no ‘Grievance Procedures’ nor ‘Bullying and Harassment Policies’. This forces a target of bullying to use procedures which are not suitable for the situation they face.

The main option is often to raise a formal complaint. However, this is not easy for a couple of reasons. The first is that it takes a great deal of courage for someone already harmed by bullying to enter into an adversarial process against someone who has already done them great harm. They feel that complaining will only make the bullying worse.

The second is that most complaints and disciplinary procedures are geared up to deal with someone who has committed at least one major misdemeanour. As explored earlier, however, bullying tends to consist of a host of minor actions and the misdemeanour is in the effect of the sum of these actions rather than any one individual action.

For these reasons, in my experience, Complaints Officers often reject bullying cases on the grounds that they need to be handled in a different way. Indeed they do, but by this stage most churches offer no other way of dealing with a bullying case. At the moment the procedures offered by the churches are letting down those who are targets of bullying.

I find it most distressing sitting beside a female member of the clergy, who has already been traumatized by the bullying, and watch as she sees the avenues by which she could get justice closed off to her one by one.

The usual way for the church to deal with someone who is a bully is to move the target. This has the unfortunate effect of convincing the target further that they are to blame for their own bullying and furthermore fails to challenge the conduct of the bully who is then free to practice their skills on the next target. Add to this the upheaval that there may well be for the target and it can be seen that way of dealing with it is far from the ideal.

I believe that the failure of the churches to challenge the bullying behaviour of some of its members and clergy is damaging people’s ministries and consequently the work of the Kingdom of God .

As a result of all this I am calling upon churches to:-

1) Recognise and accept that such bullying is happening in their organisation.

2) Encourage and equip those in authority in their organisation to listen carefully and sympathetically to targets of bullying and then act quickly and decisively in each case.

3) Respond to bullying in a way that challenges the conduct of the bully rather than simply moving on the target.

4) Produce a 'Bullying and Harassment' Policy

5) Quickly introduce non-adversarial Grievance procedures that will give the targets of bullying a framework to address their situation.

6) Sign up to the DTI’s ‘Dignity at Work’ scheme.

The House of Lords has very recently made a landmark decision for all ministers of religion. In the case of a Church of Scotland minister they have ruled that ministers of religion should have the same status as employees in discrimination cases. This should allow cases of bullying to be brought before an industrial tribunal where it can be shown that discrimination is a factor. However this is a complex procedure and anyone embarking on such a case will need expert assistance. This is yet another good reason for members of the clergy to belong to a member of a union.

Useful Websites:

Dignity at Work - www.dignityatwork.org

BALM (Bullied and Abused Lives in Ministry) - www.balmnet.co.uk

Amicus - www.amicustheunion.org

What to do if you believe you are being bullied

These suggestions come from the Dignity at Work project run by the dti and Amicus the Union :

Respect yourself. As soon as you encounter behaviour which is not acceptable to you, put an immediate end to it. If you allow anyone to make inappropriate comments on more than one occasion you set a dangerous precedent and it becomes more difficult to stop.

Confront the bully. The office bully thrives off the fact that you are too scared to confront them. Perhaps a small word in a public place may actually put an end to your workplace nightmare?

Keep a diary. As soon as you are on the receiving end of intimidating behaviour, make a diary to record all of the details - they could become evidence in the long run. You can also keep e-mails and letters, and note who else is present - they could act as a witness.

Don't miss out. Just because one person in the office is being unpleasant make sure it does not jeopardise your relationship with other colleagues by refusing to go out for lunch or after work drinks. Failing to do so will isolate you.

Speak to your manager or a senior colleague. It is rare for a bully to pick on just one person in the office. Arrange a meeting with your Manager or another senior colleague if your manager is the problem, to see if the bully has a track record within the company - they may already be on their way out.

Get support. Being a member of a trade union is very important throughout this process. They can provide the support and expertise in this kind of situation. As well as having them onside to deal with the technical legal process their holistic approach can point you in the right direction of getting all the support you need for what is often an emotionally draining process. It is important to note that in most unions you need to be a member for some time before you can get this support. Please do not wait until have problems before joining – usually you have to be a member for some time before you can receive legal assistance.

Don't let the bully drag you down. Make sure that you have things to look forward to outside work, like evening classes, going to the gym, seeing your friends etc, as your confidence will receive a much needed boost.

About Amicus

Amicus is not only the trade union which is spearheading a project with the DTI to combat bullying, but has a dedicated Branch for Faith Workers, which has developed expertise in representing clergy all denominations and also members of other faiths. As a member of Amicus you can expect to receive professional support from a Local Area Representative, and if necessary from Officers of the union or our legal specialists. We not only support individuals in their times of difficulty, but can make representations on their behalf. You never know when you might find yourself in a difficult situation when you need that additional support to see you through this time, so it is best to join Amicus now. Amicus also uses its experience to campaign nationally to progress policies and practices in the church.

About Rev’d Dr Mike Bossingham.

Mike is currently a Methodist Minister working part time in Cambridge . He suffered bullying through the formal procedures of the Methodist Church after having to report a case of child abuse to the authorities. As a result of this experience he became a Local Area Representative for Amicus and has supported a number of ministers who have been targets of bullying.

Mike also runs the Family Friendly Churches Trust, a charity he set up to help churches improve their work with children, young people and families. The trust also helps churches to make good use of IT equipment. You can find out more about Mike and the trust at www.FamilyFriendlyChurches.org.uk

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