Addressing Constructions of Bullying in the British Army: A Framework for Analysis

Bullying in the British Army has attracted a great amount of media and political attention in recent years. However, whilst there is near-universal agreement that bullying is morally wrong and bad for individual and institutional morale, the implied or assumed meaning of the word bullying seems to vary among those making statements about it. In effect, uses of the word bullying when applied to the British Army are constructed in different ways by different observers, their constructions often remaining implicit and so closed to discussion. This paper, based on the study of the British Armys organizational culture over many years, offers an initial attempt at a framework for description, analysis and explanation of events where oppressive coercive behaviour is used, to provide an objective means to address cases where bullying might appear to have taken place. It is hoped that his framework can be developed through further research.