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 important book collects the experiences and perspectives of people 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 it happens – 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 churches and Christian organisations.

Following the personal accounts, the book offers professional perspectives on bullying in the Church, asking why it happens and considering its psychological and institutional effects. It concludes with a note of hope, asking how God can work in some of these situations.

Bullies and Bystanders has been collected and edited by Anne Lee and Janet Fife, both of whom have also written chapters. Anne is a social psychologist with expertise in understanding workplace bullying, particularly in churches and other religious groups. Janet is a retired Anglican priest and writer who has campaigned for some years on issues of abuse.

Other contributors include Richard Scorer, Martyn Percy, Stephen Parsons, Fiona Gardner, Jonathan Abernethy-Barkley, Joy Allan, Clive Billenness, Cecilia Davies, Deirdre Good, Alison Kennedy, Rhona Knight, Rebecca Parnaby-Rooke, Augustine Tanner-Ihm and Lorraine Turner.

Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, has written the Foreword.