The No Asshole Rule focuses on workplace bullies, but of course, this is a problem that pervades many other corners of life: schools, churches, families, people who are in institutions like nursing homes and elder care facilities, and on and on. I just got a note about Thru the Looking Glass, an award winning blog about the problem of bullying, which appears aimed at helping victims cope with such problems, and to stamp out the problem in general. It contains links to a lot of useful resources and has numerous compelling posts. Plus the reason that this blog was started really got my attention:
"I began to research bullying on the Internet to understand why a frail
senior recovering from a serious illness had become the target of
bullying. When those nearest and dearest attempted to defend her and
ask for the abuse to stop, the abuser worked her venom on them. Thus
began our research into why and how this could happen to one so
vulnerable. Our research was enlightening and we want to share that
with you."
Alas, there also appears to be a workplace angle, as elder abuse is often committed by employees of the institutions that are supposed to care for them. And I do believe that part of the solution is to build organizations that screen out bullies, train people how to deal with difficult people and challenging clients without bullying them, and punish and expel chronic offenders. So there does seem to be an intersection here with the ideas in The No Asshole Rule, albeit one I confess I have barely thought about.
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