Sometimes we see anti-collegial and unfair behavior. For example, a person, the attacker, attacks another, the victim. To defuse and “solve” the situation, it could help to know why it has happened. Managing conflict and making amends are principles and skills of collegial ethics. There are many examples where this can be examined.

Very often, the attacker will claim that the victim has done something harmful to them. The attack is payback. If reasonable people and good leadership are available, a solution can often be found, and help can be given to both.

There is another situation where the attacker is unlikely to stop. Yes, unlikely to stop no matter what. Suppose the victim knows something that the attacker has done that is serious. The attacker has broken the law or maybe has hurt others badly. The victim has spoken out about this which has made the attacker afraid. The attacker is attacking the victim to keep the victim silent or to discredit the victim. The attacker does not want the victim to be believed when the victim describes what the attacker has done. The attacker wants to hide his/her nefarious activities by making the victim look like a bigger criminal or somehow unreliable. In this case, the attacker won’t agree to a truce or to a resolution because she/he knows that this would allow the victim an opportunity to tell what the attacker has done. The attacker has “no choice” but to continue the attack to keep the victim off balance. There is no motivation to resolve it, but there is motivation to continue the attack: make the victim look worse than the attacker and to make the victim look unreliable! The attacker, while claiming to be justified, has always been in the wrong!

What can you do? Do not buy into the attacker. Do whatever you need to do to not buy in. It only confuses things, promotes evil, and hurts the victim more. The more unscrupulous the attacker is, the greater the danger for everyone. Perhaps the attacker is talented in getting others to participate in the attack (evil doers can be very talented); this creates more danger and possibly damage for everyone. Don’t buy in to the attacker!