An Iowa State University study focused on people who are targets of workplace bullying. Stacy Tye-Williams, an I-S-U professor of communication studies, says she surveyed 48 targets of bullying about what advice they’d received, if they used the advice, if it worked and what advice they’d offer others. Tye-Williams says most bullying victims said none of the advice worked.

“But interestingly, when I asked them what kind of advice they would give to others, they repeated the same advice that either was not helpful for them, that made things worse, or that they didn’t use because they didn’t think it would be helpful for them,” she says.

Researchers found common themes among the advice victims received. The top recommendations include: quit the job or get out of the situation, ignore the bullying, fight or stand up to the bully, or stay calm and report the bullying. Tye-Williams says those options were often ineffective.

“They would talk about how they stood up to the bully but it only made things worse,” she says, “or they can’t quit their job because of financial reasons but then when I asked them, ‘What advice would you give,’ they would say, ‘Stand up to the bully because maybe it would work in another context,’ or they should quit, they should get out.”

Many victims feared retaliation or further humiliation if they directly confronted the bully or lacking a better option, they did nothing about the abuse. “People don’t have really good ways to navigate the situation so they’re kind of stuck in the cycle where they don’t know what to do,” Tye-Williams says. “There aren’t many stories out there circulating of people who successfully navigated a bullying situation.”

Sometimes, people will report the bullying to human resources or to their manager but sometimes the manager is the bully, which makes it more complicated. She says some companies are ill-equipped to handle the situation, telling both parties to “work it out on your own” or to “act like adults.” Tye-Williams co-authored the study with Katholeen Krone from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It appeared in the Journal of Applied Communication Research.

(Radio Iowa)

Officials with the Creston Police Department say one person was arrested on drug-related charges over the past few days. Early this (Monday) morning, 38-year old Jeremy Ray Goodson, of Creston, was arrested at Wal-Mart in Creston on the charge of Possession of a controlled substance 1st – Marijuana.  Goodson was being held in the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond. And, early Saturday morning, 35-year old Michael Vincent Cihak, of Afton, was arrested in Creston for OWI/3rd offense, and Possession of a concealed weapon. He was later released on $5,000 bond.

Sunday afternoon, Creston Police arrested 47-year old Misty Joan McKinney, of Creston, on a Warrant.  McKinney was being held in the Ringgold County Jail on $1,000 bond.

Police in Council Bluffs Sunday night arrested two men following a report of numerous shots fired in the 200 block of E. Orchard Drive at around 11:20-p.m. Upon arrival officers made an approach of the area where the shots had been reported to have originated from. As officers were making their approach multiple shots could be heard and seen fired from the rear of a residence.

Officers encountered a man later identified as 52-year old Michael Harris, of Council Bluffs, who had come out of a residence at 215 E. Orchard. Authorities say Harris refused to comply with officers’ orders to surrender and went back into his residence. A check of records indicated Harris had valid warrants for his arrest.

A perimeter was established and the Council Bluffs Police Emergency Services Team was called in. Harris eventually surrendered to police and was taken into custody. He was charged with Violation of a Court Order, Probation Violation, and Interference with Official Acts.

During the course of the investigation it was found the shots originated from the rear of 209 E. Orchard. 56-year old Ronald Browning, of Council Bluffs, who resided in the home, was arrested and charged with Discharging a Firearm in City Limits and Interference with Official Acts.

No injuries were reported.