We have lost our minds, but we may also be losing our hearts. Lamenting the ease with which we tear into others. Borrowing a verse from the song “My Grown-Up Christmas List” to fit the theme.

Download Podcast 23 (in .mp3 format)

Child abuse deserves attention, but society has to acknowledge that adults also can be abused through no fault of their own in situations of powerlessness. Is equivalence possible?

Download Podcast 22 (in .mp3 format)

To Dad, on what would have been his 92nd birthday.

Our Reluctance to Help the Less Fortunate Than Ourselves

Two authors of an academic paper wrote an article for non-scientists in Scientific American called the Last Place Aversion Paradox: The surprising psychology of the Occupy Wall Street protests. The authors note that since the recession began in 2008, public support for economic redistribution (raising the minimum wage) has fallen.

I describe the paradox in this Podcast.

Download Podcast 21 (in .mp3 format)

Simply put, people near the bottom of a distribution are the LEAST likely to agree to help those at the bottom. Seems being next-to-last triggers fears that if those below receive a helping hand, they themselves will be passed up and become the new bottom. It’s an aversion to being last. That fear makes the next-to-last group the most selfish, the least generous.

You can read the research article: “Last-place aversion”: Evidence and Redistributive Implications by I. Kuziemko, R.W. Buell, T. Reich & M.I. Norton in draft manuscript form.

Equally sad is other 2011 research that found that group members choose to banish altruists from their groups even though altruists contribute more and take less than others. They do this because altruists, the givers, raise the ethical standard to a higher level than the group can tolerate. By comparison, regular group members look more selfish, so they kick out their more valuable members who pose an imagined threat.

Dignity, Deservedness & ‘Lucky’ Jobs

Dignity at work is a human right, not a privilege that has to be earned. In these tough economic times, it is important to not let others tell you that it is an unnecessary luxury.

Download Podcast 20 (in .mp3 format)

Typical Workplace Bullying Scenario

As bullied targets know all too well, they are not believed when they eventually tell their story. How can this happen? How can others be so incredulous? In this podcast, I describe the lengthy process that leads to the destruction of a thoroughly competent veteran worker.

Share this audio with disbelievers, whether they are in your family or at work. Hopefully, it helps. And as always, remember that targets did not invite the misery upon themselves. No rational person would.

Download Podcast 19 (in .mp3 format)

Redifining Global Competitiveness

Dr. Gary Namie suggests that an alternative meaning of “global competitiveness” be adopted in America. Less hardening, more humane treatment of workers as done by the globally competitive Europeans.

Download Podcast 18 (in .mp3 format)

Top-Down/Shut-Up Workplace Breed Disaster

Who says workplace culture doesn’t matter? When oil platform engineers tried to warn BP about potential risks of rushing installation of the well without adequate safety checks, they were told to shut up. The environment and the entire Gulf economy pay. In bullying-prone workplaces, the rules always dictate command and control from the top, no use even raising concerns, you’ll have your head handed to you. Targets pay with their health, jobs, careers. A Gary Namie podcast.

Download Podcast 17 (in .mp3 format)

Unobligated Employers

If nothing else, BP and Goldman Sachs demonstrate clearly that U.S. employers have NO OBLIGATION to society or the world’s economic stability, so why should they care about little ole you? A Gary Namie podcast.

Download Podcast 16 (in .mp3 format)

Wondering why we turn on victims so easily

Belated press attention to a January 2010 student suicide is based on the special cruelty teens employed after the girl’s death. What does this say about us and our society? A Gary Namie podcast.

Download Podcast 15 (in .mp3 format)

Podcast 14:

Happy Holidays a message of Peace

The holidays are supposed to be about peace and goodwill, Dr. Namie comments on how society may be changing its support of bullies.

Download Podcast 14 (in .mp3 format)

So You Wanna Sue…

New audio tale from a successful plaintiff with painful lessons to share

Download Podcast 13 (in .mp3 format)

A Better Response to Mini-Holocausts

Bullying has been described as mini-holocausts because people are destroyed while others stand idly by. There is an alternative. A lesson from history where a nation responded to the actual Holocaust.

Download Podcast 12 (in .mp3 format)

The Plight of Bullied Teachers

Guest Podcast: Teachers Bullied at School — Observations About Teachers as Targets a Teacher

Carrie Clark, podcaster

Carrie Clark, MA — WBI-Legislative Campaign spokesperson, Co-Coordinator of the California Healthy Workplace Advocates, and CHWA Blogger, former English school teacher, veteran of 20+ years, and WBI Consultant for the Workplace Bullying in Schools Project

Part 1: When Teachers Are Bullied, 6’27″
The special case of teachers, who they are and why they get bullied
Download Podcast 11 – Part 1 (in .mp3 format)

Part 2: Solutions for Bullied Teachers, 2’14″
Download Podcast 11 – Part 2 (in .mp3 format)

Watch the video of Carrie narrating a 2008 BNET production on workplace bullying — Calling a Bully a Bully

Calling Out Bullies

Only for the Brave – 5′ 34″

Download Podcast 10 (in .mp3 format)

Labor Day Message for Working Folks

Restoring dignity for the underclasses with help from Franklin Roosevelt, Mark Twain (Hal Holbrook), Andrew Cuomo, Harry Chapin.

Read the report cited in the podcast: No Rhyme or Reason: The ‘Heads I Win, Tails You Lose’ Bank Bonus Culture by Andrew Cuomo, NY State Attorney General

Download Podcast 9 (in .mp3 format)

Unions & Bullying

Guest Podcast: Carol Fehner, union activist, former union rep, lifelong bullybuster (and WBI affiliate), retired federal worker

Learn what bullied targets should do to get the union to pay attention.

Download Podcast 8 (in .mp3 format)

Recasting Reform as Bullying

Tutorial:Recasting health insurance reform from a bullying perspective – 7 min.

Download Podcast 7 (in .mp3 format)

The Bully’s Personality

Tutorial: Fun with explanations for bullying that don’t lead to solutions, but provide personal satisfaction gloating that it is they who are defective! This is a long one – 11 min.

Download Podcast 6 (in .mp3 format)

Beware of Bad Advice

Bullying Tutorials

Advice from traditional, HR-promoting, sources such as media types and motivational speakers who make bullied targets responsible for their fate can be harmful. Here are some warning signs.

Download Podcast 5 (in .mp3 format)

Freedom – Some Have It, Most Do Not

Bullying Tutorials

A double standard regarding Freedom — Freedom To … exploit, harm, abuse (for employers, the wealthy, the financial sector) and the less frequently realized Freedom From … bullying, exploitation, harm (for the working poor, the displaced layoff victims, the rest of us)

Download Podcast 4 (in .mp3 format)

Insanity: Abuse for the Innocent & Smart

Bullying Tutorials

To bullied targets: you are not only innocent of not causing the harm the bully elected to inflict, you are among the best and brightest. Adult targets are the smartest and best workers. Your reward — abuse!

Download Podcast 3 (in .mp3 format)

Indignity of Not Being Believed

Tutorials for Targets.

Dr. Namie warns of the harm inherent in Not Being Believed as a bullied person. How can they trust the liars?

Listen and then tell about your experience in a comment.

Download Podcast 2 (in .mp3 format)

Stress & the Economic Crisis

The Dark Side of the World of Work

First official WBI podcast

A welcome and warning about the stress-related pressures the economic crisis brings.

You can either..

Download Podcast 1 (in .mp3 format)