Bullies and Bystanders

Churches and Christian organisations are lagging behind the rest of society in acknowledging the existence of, and harm done by, bullying within their institutions. This book collects the experiences and perspectives of contributors from different denominations and backgrounds, to raise awareness of the extent of bullying, the damage caused to victims of bullying and to the health of the Church, and to call for more robust ways of dealing with bullies. It includes heart-breaking true stories of people being bullied in Church situations, exploring how and why these experiences happen – sometimes because of the target’s gender, sexual orientation, or race. It also records the lack of support from those who could reasonably have been expected to be in a position to support a target of bullying, especially those in a senior position in the Church.