BULLYING is unacceptable.
Targeting someone vulnerable, using intimidation, coercion and threats to hurt them emotionally or physically, can have serious consequences.
And nowhere is bullying more evident than on-line.
Whether the victim’s at work, school or at home, the bullies can reach them with relative ease and social media companies need to do far more to counter this intrusion.
Regrettably, though, the ease at which offence is so easily taken today means that any form of forthright or blunt conduct is automatically lumped in with bullying.
Let’s take Home Secretary Priti Patel, for example.
Her alleged behaviour to her staff led to accusations of bullying and the resignation of a civil service mandarin, who is still claiming constructive dismissal.
An eight-month investigation culminated in a report last week by Sir Alex Allan, independent adviser on ministerial standards.
He found that Ms Patel had breached the ministerial code, shouting and swearing at civil servants, and called it, “behaviour that can be described as bullying”.
What was less reported was his finding of Ms Patel’s frustration at her repeated attempts to galvanize a notoriously dysfunctional Home Office.
Several Cabinet colleagues, including Baroness Morgan and Brandon Lewis, described how officials were “actively undermining” her.
Little wonder that she lost her cool, demanding an end to the inertia gripping her ministry.
Ms Patel has now apologised, and, supported by the Prime Minister, remains in post.
With howls of protest emanating from Labour, I wonder what they’d be saying if Ms Patel, of Indian origin, had been one of theirs.
I am confident accusations of racism and sexism would have been deafening.
To her credit, she has mentioned neither.
Ms Patel is pushing through some tough policies and we need a resolute minister to see them through.