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The Oakland Violence and Bullying Linked?
The recent tragedy in Oakland, where seven people were shot to death at Oikos University, may have a link to bullying behavior.
The alleged shooter, One Goh, had been upset about teasing from classmates over his poor English skills, according to Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan.
Just recently, SHRM published its report on workplace bullying. Although the Goh incident occurred at a school, the possibility of workplace violence due to bullying is always present.
If you missed it, it might be a good time to review the SHRM study.
It can be downloaded here.
Filed under: Featured, Kim's Korner · Tags: #shrm, bully, bullying, workplace violence
2 Responses to "The Oakland Violence and Bullying Linked?"
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I normally agree with everything you post and I do think bullying is a serious issue that employers need to be aware of.
However, this school shooting has to do with mental illness, not bullying. Millions get bullied every day. Only a minuscule fraction of those people will go on to become mass murderers. There is absolutely no proof that the people he shot had anything to do with bullying him. Furthermore, he has stated that he came specifically to speak to one administrator that was involved in his expulsion from the school and only shot people after he found out that the administrator was not there.
You make some good points. The police chief merely pointed it out as one of the factors that may have contributed to the tragedy. Other reports have mentioned the financial troubles of the alleged shooter, and the recent deaths in his family. From a HR perspective, I believe it’s important to be aware of these issues. Workplace violence continues to be a problem, and bullying, whether by co-workers, supervisors, students, or even customers, can sometimes be related or connected to an eventual escalation. I agree with you when you say ‘Millions get bullied every day.” Therefore, as HR professionals, we need to be aware and do our part in combating it. Thank you for reading!