Harassment and bullying

Harassment and bullying should be eliminated, as they negatively affect the individuals, their interpersonal relations, and the ship’s economic and safety performance.

The ship is a workplace that requires not only sufficient technical skills but also good cooperation and team work among the shipboard crew. There are many factors that destroy good cooperation, and one of these is the prevalence of harassment and bullying. Harassment and bullying should be eliminated, as they negatively affect the individuals, their interpersonal relations, and the ship’s economic and safety performance. There are guidelines and recommended practices for the senior officers, the alleged bully, and the person who feels that he/she is being harassed or bullied to better manage, address or totally eliminate harassment and bullying onboard ships.

Learning objectives:

• Recognise the significance of addressing harassment and bullying onboard ships
• Describe how senior officers should address harassment and bullying onboard ships
• Define harassment and bullying
• Describe how to avoid or break the habit of harassing or bullying others
• Describe the ways on how the person being harassed or bullied should address the situation