remoak:
I have read my company's workplace harassment policy and it has nothing to say on the subject we are discussing. Maybe it's got something to do with the fact that I don't live or work in Australia (thank god). The key to any workplace harassment policy is the appropriate-ness and degree of the behaviour in question. Frankly, if you want to work in this industry you need to grow a pair rather than cowering in the PC corner in fear of what somebody might do if you happen to raise your voice or brush against them in a confined space.
Please note, all those that love to jump to conclusions, that nobody is condoning physical violence or intimidation. What I am talking about is not the same thing. Touching someone, per se, is not an act of violence. It is the intent that matters (in civilised countries, at any rate).
The way you have responded to me would be considered, in your workplace, harassment - however I note that you are more than happy to jump in with your personal assault, which indicates your true level of professionalism.
If you can't even understand that raising the level, timbre and inflection of one's voice does not equate to shouting, or that some forms physical contact are not only permissible, but completely appropriate in some circumstances in the flight deck, then you are sadly out of touch with modern techniques.
Or maybe Australia is ten years behind the times when it comes to this stuff... as is often the case in aviation over there.
Furthermore it is you who are out of touch.
1. If you so much as an instructor lay a finger on a recruit/trainee in the ADF without their permission you are asking to be charged and that has been the case since at least as early as 1968. The let out for that is a verbal statement to the effect that you are doing so for instructional purposes as in: "I will now adjust your webbing for you to demonstrate the correct fitting, etc. etc."
Perhaps the RAAF is allowed an exemption from this regulation?
2. Screaming and yelling and prodding is not an effective form of communication or getting peoples attention at all. I've been racing yachts for some Fifty years and I've seen all sorts of yellers and screamers and prodders in some extremely dangerous and hair raising situations as they attempt to get others to do their bidding. It rarely works. Quite often a student/inexperienced person will simply freeze under the tirade and make the situation worse, especially if they are trying to coordinate their actions with others or problem solve or learn an unfamiliar routine.
The best I've sailed with are almost silent. When they do open their mouths, they are worth listening to as they drop pearls of wisdom for the rest of us. The greats, like the late Jock Sturrock, could not only get his message across cogently and simply but leave you splitting your sides laughing as well.
To put that another way, raising your voice, let alone prodding or smacking, is a sign of immaturity and/or stupidity in an instructor.
3. If I want to raise a students stress level, which I agree is sometimes necessary and relevent, there are infinitely subtler ways of doing it which I won't bother to go into here, except to say that it can be done in a conversational tone without the student even noticing he is being loaded up. I am sure qualified and experienced aviation instructors are well aware of this.
To put that another way and demonstrate the complete absurdity of your statement the words of Professor Angelou are relevent, as quoted by Centaurus:
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." -
the only "lesson" a screamer and a prodder teaches is that he/she is a know nothing prick.
TID EDIT:
How about we keep the name calling out of it and keep the thread civilised for once?