Why do we need an anti-bullying training for libraries?
In a 2021 survey, the Workplace Bullying Institute found that 30% of an estimated 48.6 million American workers experienced workplace bullying (Namie, 2021). Across library workplaces, bullying is an acknowledged experience (Kim et al., 2018), and dysfunction and incivility have been established as common longitudinal issues in all library types (Henry et al., 2023). Unfortunately, bullying is often overlooked in libraries (Freedman & Vreven, 2016). Vocational awe and a prioritization of collegial relations can lead to a breakdown in communication and surface-level “solution” to workplace confrontations (Freedman, 2012; Motin, 2009).
Knowing that bullying in libraries is a problem, the creators of this workshop wanted to find evidence-based solutions to create an intervention for librarians to help address this pervasive problem within the profession, however after a rigorous review of the literature, there were no relevant evidence-based studies available (Albro et al., 2023). The authors then turned to Nursing, which is another female dominated service profession with a strong evidence-based interventional research on bullying in the workplace, as the source for the evidence utilized in this workshop.
This asynchronous, online workshop will begin by providing definitions and readings on workplace bullying to ensure a thorough understanding of the phenomenon. Videos, charts, and graphs will be included to provide further context and deeper understanding. This workshop will utilize cognitive rehearsal as the main approach as this has been proven to be very effective in the primary research in nursing intervention research on bullying in the workplace. Exercises employing cognitive rehearsal will be interspersed throughout the workshop to check your understanding and give you the opportunity to practice responses to common bullying scenarios. At the conclusion of the workshop, you will be given printable materials that you can use to reinforce what you’ve learned.
Knowing that bullying in libraries is a problem, the creators of this workshop wanted to find evidence-based solutions to create an intervention for librarians to help address this pervasive problem within the profession, however after a rigorous review of the literature, there were no relevant evidence-based studies available (Albro et al., 2023). The authors then turned to Nursing, which is another female dominated service profession with a strong evidence-based interventional research on bullying in the workplace, as the source for the evidence utilized in this workshop.
This asynchronous, online workshop will begin by providing definitions and readings on workplace bullying to ensure a thorough understanding of the phenomenon. Videos, charts, and graphs will be included to provide further context and deeper understanding. This workshop will utilize cognitive rehearsal as the main approach as this has been proven to be very effective in the primary research in nursing intervention research on bullying in the workplace. Exercises employing cognitive rehearsal will be interspersed throughout the workshop to check your understanding and give you the opportunity to practice responses to common bullying scenarios. At the conclusion of the workshop, you will be given printable materials that you can use to reinforce what you’ve learned.
What is cognitive rehearsal?
Cognitive rehearsal therapy is a method of learning that helps participants recognize a behavior and its consequences in an educational setting. After recognizing the behavior, participants rehearse and practice different phrases they can use to respond to that behavior when encountering it outside of the classroom. Cognitive rehearsal therapy is well-documented in having positive results in bullying prevention and intervention in a variety of workplaces (Griffin, 2004; Kang & Jeong, 2019; Kile et al., 2019; McDermott et al., 2021; Razzi & Bianchi, 2019).
How has this worked in nursing?
Nursing literature provides strong, evidence-based interventions we as librarians can draw upon when deciding how to intervene in bullying within our own field. Though nursing has a clinical focus, there are many similarities with the library profession that makes it a comparable place of comparison to draw from. Both nursing and librarianship are service-oriented majority women professions with various types of professional levels of service in different settings. While librarians have not yet written about evidence-based interventions for bullying, nursing has explored the topic at length. Due to this, we are drawing inspiration from their successes in designing this training. Many nursing interventions have employed multiple methods of training. The most successful studies have combined educational workshops or modules with cognitive rehearsal therapy to develop both understanding and practice among participants.
What is Bullying/Mobbing/Lateral Violence?
Lateral violence (or horizontal violence) is deliberate, hostile, aggressive, and harmful behavior by an employee (or group of employees) towards a co-worker (or group of co-workers) (Christie & Jones, 2013; Thobaben, 2007). Bullying and mobbing are examples of this type of violence. Bullying is a pattern of consistent negative acts and behavior that escalates over time. Bullying is considered to have a long duration, usually defined as six months or more of the escalating behavior. Mobbing is this same pattern of negative acts and behavior, again over a long duration, perpetrated by a group of individuals against one individual.
Bullying, mobbing, and lateral violence are the focus of this training, but they are not the only forms of incivility that happen in the workplace. Interventions for bullying, mobbing, and lateral violence can be the same, despite their difference in definitions, due to the similarities in motivations for the actions and ways they are combatted.
Bullying, mobbing, and lateral violence are the focus of this training, but they are not the only forms of incivility that happen in the workplace. Interventions for bullying, mobbing, and lateral violence can be the same, despite their difference in definitions, due to the similarities in motivations for the actions and ways they are combatted.
The Importance of Leadership
It is critical for leaders to be invested in combating workplace lateral violence, bullying, and mobbing. When library leaders are willfully blind to a problem like bullying, it allows it to become the norm in the workplace. Leaders set the tone for their organizations and ply a large role in their workplace culture, and without their investment in eliminating workplace bullying, mobbing, and lateral violence, intervention efforts are not able to be fully successful. This training will be focused on peer-to-peer bullying, but it is important to note that supervisors make up nearly 60% of library workplace bullying (Kim, Geary, and Bielefield, 2018). Leaders must hold themselves and one another accountable if they truly wish to see change in their organizations.
As noted above, there is currently a lack of research available on bullying interventions in the library workplace, and the creators of this workshop will be publishing results on this intervention in aims of resolving this lack. The creators greatly value your responses to the pre- and post- survey that accompanies this workshop and hope that you will consider participating in future research to help the creators refine and improve this research. This workshop is hopefully the first iteration for this approach to mitigate bullying in the library workplace.
It is also critical that while there is growing documentation of the abuse and neglect of BIPOC Librarians thanks to the work of Kaetrena Davis Kendrick and other researchers, there is not enough interventional evidence currently available for the creators of these modules to create specific modules for BIPOC librarians, who suffer abuse and negative work experiences at a higher rate than their white colleagues. It is hoped that there might be enough data submitted through this workshop from BIPOC librarians to create such materials in the future. The creators hope that other librarians from other historically marginalized groups will submit their data through the pre- and post- surveys so that specialized materials can be created for all librarians who face additional burdens in the workplace.
As noted above, there is currently a lack of research available on bullying interventions in the library workplace, and the creators of this workshop will be publishing results on this intervention in aims of resolving this lack. The creators greatly value your responses to the pre- and post- survey that accompanies this workshop and hope that you will consider participating in future research to help the creators refine and improve this research. This workshop is hopefully the first iteration for this approach to mitigate bullying in the library workplace.
It is also critical that while there is growing documentation of the abuse and neglect of BIPOC Librarians thanks to the work of Kaetrena Davis Kendrick and other researchers, there is not enough interventional evidence currently available for the creators of these modules to create specific modules for BIPOC librarians, who suffer abuse and negative work experiences at a higher rate than their white colleagues. It is hoped that there might be enough data submitted through this workshop from BIPOC librarians to create such materials in the future. The creators hope that other librarians from other historically marginalized groups will submit their data through the pre- and post- surveys so that specialized materials can be created for all librarians who face additional burdens in the workplace.
References
Albro M., Stark, R.K., & McElfresh, J.M. (2023). Interventions to address bullying: A comparative analysis of nursing interventions and implications for librarians. [Manuscript submitted for publication].
Christie, W., & Jones, S. (2013). Lateral violence in nursing and the theory of the nurse as wounded healer. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol19No01PPT01
Freedman, S. (2012). Collegiality matters: Massachusetts public higher education librarians’ perspective. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 38(2), 108–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2012.02.003
Freedman, S., & Vreven, D.L. (2016). Workplace incivility and bullying in the library: perception or reality? College and Research Libraries, 77(6), 727-748. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.77.6.727
Griffin, M. (2004). Teaching cognitive rehearsal as a shield for lateral violence: An intervention for newly licensed nurses. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 35(6), 257-263. https://doi.org/10.3928/0022-0124-20041101-07
Henry, J., Croxton, R., & Moniz, R. (2023). Incivility and dysfunction in the library workplace: A five-year comparison. Journal of Library Administration, 63(1), 42–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2022.2146440
Kang, J., & Jeong, Y. J. (2019). Effects of a smartphone application for cognitive rehearsal intervention on workplace bullying and turnover intention among nurses. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 25(6), e12786. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijn.12786
Kendrick, K. D. & Damasco, I. T. (2019). Low morale in ethnic and racial minority academic librarians: An experiential study. Library Trends, 69(2), https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2019.0036
Kile, D., Eaton, M., deValpine, M., & Gilbert, R. (2019). The effectiveness of education and cognitive rehearsal in managing nurse‐to‐nurse incivility: A pilot study. Journal of Nursing Management, 27(3), 543-552. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12709
Kim, H.J., Geary, C.A., & Bielefeld, A. (2018). Bullying in the library workplace. Library Leadership & Management, 32(2). https://doi.org/10.5860/llm.v32i2.7197
McDermott, C., Bernard, N., & Hathaway, W. (2021). Taking a stand against workplace incivility. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 52(5), 232-239. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20210414-07
Motin, S.H. (2009). Bullying or mobbing: is it happening in your academic library? In ACRL 14th National Conference Proceedings (pp. 291-297). Association for College and Research Libraries.
Namie, G. (2021). 2021 WBI U.S. workplace bullying survey. Workplace Bullying Institute. https://workplacebullying.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2021-Flyer.pdf
Razzi, C. C., & Bianchi, A. L. (2019). Incivility in nursing: Implementing a quality improvement program utilizing cognitive rehearsal training. Nursing Forum, 54(4), 526-536. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12366
Thobaben, M. (2007). Horizontal workplace violence. Home Health Care Management & Practice, 20(1), 82-83. https://doi.org/10.1177/1084822307305723
Christie, W., & Jones, S. (2013). Lateral violence in nursing and the theory of the nurse as wounded healer. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol19No01PPT01
Freedman, S. (2012). Collegiality matters: Massachusetts public higher education librarians’ perspective. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 38(2), 108–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2012.02.003
Freedman, S., & Vreven, D.L. (2016). Workplace incivility and bullying in the library: perception or reality? College and Research Libraries, 77(6), 727-748. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.77.6.727
Griffin, M. (2004). Teaching cognitive rehearsal as a shield for lateral violence: An intervention for newly licensed nurses. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 35(6), 257-263. https://doi.org/10.3928/0022-0124-20041101-07
Henry, J., Croxton, R., & Moniz, R. (2023). Incivility and dysfunction in the library workplace: A five-year comparison. Journal of Library Administration, 63(1), 42–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2022.2146440
Kang, J., & Jeong, Y. J. (2019). Effects of a smartphone application for cognitive rehearsal intervention on workplace bullying and turnover intention among nurses. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 25(6), e12786. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijn.12786
Kendrick, K. D. & Damasco, I. T. (2019). Low morale in ethnic and racial minority academic librarians: An experiential study. Library Trends, 69(2), https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2019.0036
Kile, D., Eaton, M., deValpine, M., & Gilbert, R. (2019). The effectiveness of education and cognitive rehearsal in managing nurse‐to‐nurse incivility: A pilot study. Journal of Nursing Management, 27(3), 543-552. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12709
Kim, H.J., Geary, C.A., & Bielefeld, A. (2018). Bullying in the library workplace. Library Leadership & Management, 32(2). https://doi.org/10.5860/llm.v32i2.7197
McDermott, C., Bernard, N., & Hathaway, W. (2021). Taking a stand against workplace incivility. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 52(5), 232-239. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20210414-07
Motin, S.H. (2009). Bullying or mobbing: is it happening in your academic library? In ACRL 14th National Conference Proceedings (pp. 291-297). Association for College and Research Libraries.
Namie, G. (2021). 2021 WBI U.S. workplace bullying survey. Workplace Bullying Institute. https://workplacebullying.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2021-Flyer.pdf
Razzi, C. C., & Bianchi, A. L. (2019). Incivility in nursing: Implementing a quality improvement program utilizing cognitive rehearsal training. Nursing Forum, 54(4), 526-536. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12366
Thobaben, M. (2007). Horizontal workplace violence. Home Health Care Management & Practice, 20(1), 82-83. https://doi.org/10.1177/1084822307305723