According to the American Psychological Association bullying is defined as “a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort. Bullying can take the form of physical contact, words or more subtle actions.”
It is important to note that the target of a bully has not done anything wrong and finds it difficult to defend herself from these attacks. The person who is bullying holds the power over the individual who is being targeted.
Bullying can range from overt tactics such as yelling, discrediting, or belittling the target in public, excluding the target from meetings, withholding critical information, dispersing rumors to more subtle methods such as anonymous threats, gossip, or humiliation using social media.
Bullies may even befriend you, and then share your secrets or vulnerabilities. They will work very hard at making you appear incompetent, untrustworthy, or unreliable. Bullies love to blame others for their own failures while taking credit for other people’s achievements or successes.
Unlike sexual harassment or discrimination, this kind of toxic workplace behavior is not illegal. It is a tactic deployed by a person in a power position who suffers from low self-esteem and is insecure.
According to the National Workplace Bullying Institute, 72% of these bullies outrank you in title and power. Also, contrary to popular belief, bullies in the workplace do not seek out the weak or “outsider” people as seen with school-based bullying. Rather, they often bully those people they see as a threat to their own power and self-importance: approachable, emotionally intelligent, popular, and competent people in the organization.
Due to the position of power most bullies hold, targets often find it difficult to defend themselves, contact their Human Resources department, or confide in colleagues. You may find yourself in this exact situation right now.
You may feel alone or resort to self-blame due to this lack of support. Remind yourself, you are not the cause of this negative behavior. We are here to help you reframe the situation, reconnect you to your talents, strengths, and competencies so that you can put this bad chapter of your life behind you forever.
Begin to recover and recharge today!
