In 2000, the UK
Ministry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
(MOD) defined
bullying
Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception (by the bully or by others) of an imba ...
as: "...the use of physical strength or the
abuse of authority to
intimidate or
victimise
Victimisation ( or victimization) is the process of being victimised or becoming a victim. The field that studies the process, rates, incidence, effects, and prevalence of victimisation is called victimology.
Peer victimisation
Peer victimisati ...
others, or to give unlawful punishments."
[''The Values and Standards of the British Army – A Guide to Soldiers'', Ministry of Defence, UK March 2000, paragraph 23.] A review of a number of deaths, supposedly by suicide, at
Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut by Nicholas Blake
QC indicated that whilst a
bullying culture existed during the mid to late 1990s many of the issues were being addressed as a result of the
Defence Training Review.
Deepcut Review
accessed 14 January 2007
Some argue that this behaviour should be allowed because of a general academic consensus that "soldiering" is different from other occupations. Soldiers expected to risk their lives should, according to them, develop strength of body and spirit to accept bullying.[''Social Psychology of the Individual Soldier'', Jean M. Callaghan and Franz Kernic 2003 Armed Forces and International Security: Global Trends and Issues, Lit Verlag, Munster]
In some countries, ritual hazing
Hazing (American English), initiation, beasting (British English), bastardisation (Australian English), ragging (South Asian English) or deposition refers to any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, ...
amongst recruits has been tolerated and even lauded as a rite of passage
A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisation of ''rite ...
that builds character and toughness; while in others, systematic bullying of lower-ranking, young or physically slight recruits may in fact be encouraged by military policy, either tacitly or overtly (see dedovshchina).
See also
* Military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
* Military abuse
Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...
References
External links
* Field Tbr>Bullying, harassment and suicide in the military armed services
Film leads to Army bullying probe
BBC News 2 August 2005
Russian army bullying 'horrific'
BBC News 20 October 2004
Brazil army probes torture video
BBC News 15 November 2005
Military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
Military life
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