Alasdair MURRAY

There is not much that links Gordon Brown, Dappy from NDubz and my four year old son (he prefers Elbow). But all of them in one way and another have had to get to grips with the government's anti-bullying strategy.

Dappy, pop followers and Charlie Brooker fans may recall, was forced to step down recently from being the figurehead for the anti-bullying strategy after sending threatening text messages. I don't need to tell you about Gordon's alleged exploits. And my four year old son recently learnt about respect and tackling bullying problems for the first time as part of his school's anti-bullying week.

For the media, this week's Brown tales have taken on a salacious edge. The political tit for tat (I call you Andy Coulson, you raise me Brown) and the side scandal of the garrulous owner of a confidential helpline has added to the fun. Journalists in any case see this as amusing gossip rather than a serious matter of abuse of power - after all bullying, sorry tough guy, management is the traditional technique in most newspapers. This is borne out by the repeated clichéd response that those who work in the furnace of Downing Street should expect fire.

What is lost in all this is the reality for those that are bullied in the workplace is anything but amusing. Many remain too fearful to speak up for fear of losing their job. And with good reason although supposedly covered by employment rules protection, it remains difficult to prove a case. Too often the organisation shuts up shop and the victim quickly becomes the culprit and is forced out of their job. This is often followed by dark suggestions that the victim was only after a pay-out. Yet speak to any victims and it quickly becomes obvious that most people ringing a bullying helpline just want the problem sorted so that they can go back to work in a more pleasant environment, and have no intention of seeking compensation. They are not crying wolf at the first sign of volatile behaviour but responding as a last resort to systematic intimidation.

The government to its credit has worked hard to put in place an anti-bullying strategy for schools and workplaces. It’s a pity that the fallout from this week's revelations seem destined to set back that cause.