Bullying is a phenomenon that unfortunately is still present in many workplaces. It consists of persistent and prolonged harassment or intimidation of an employee, leading to his humiliation, ridicule and even exclusion from the team. Although bullying is a serious problem, it is often met with a passive attitude from those around it. Why does this happen and what are the consequences of such silence?
What is bullying and how does it manifest itself?
Bullying is a form of psychological violence that can take many forms. The most common bullying behaviors include:
- Verbal attacks: humiliating, insulting, criticizing, ridiculing, gossiping, threatening.
- Isolation: ignoring, excluding from conversations and meetings, omitting important information, assigning under-qualified work.
- Discrimination: being treated in an inferior way because of gender, age, origin, religion, sexual orientation.
- Harassment: intrusive remarks, unwanted advances, use of physical violence or threats of violence.
- Sabotaging work: obstructing duties, hiding documents, spoiling work tools.
Why do people see but not react?
The passivity of witnesses to bullying is a complex problem whose causes lie in both individual and social factors. Here are some of them:
- Fear of consequences: People who witness bullying are often afraid to react, fearing for their own safety, loss of job or deterioration of their relationship with the harasser.
- Lack of knowledge: Not everyone is aware of what bullying is and how it manifests itself. Many people may not recognize bullying behavior or downplay its effects.
- Conformism: In some work environments, there is a culture of silence and acquiescence to bullying. People are afraid to break out of the group and risk being ostracized.
- Anesthesia: Prolonged exposure to violence can lead to anesthesia and indifference to the suffering of others.
- “It’s none of my business.” Many people think bullying is between the victim and the bully and don’t want to get involved.
Consequences of passivity
Failure to respond to bullying has serious consequences for both the victim and the entire work environment:
- For the victim: bullying can lead to serious health problems, such as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and addictions. Victims of bullying often lose self-confidence, isolate themselves from others and have problems in their personal lives. In extreme cases, bullying can lead to a suicide attempt.
- For witnesses: Passivity in the face of bullying can generate feelings of guilt, shame and helplessness. Witnesses to bullying often experience negative emotions themselves, such as stress, anxiety and frustration.
- For organizations: Bullying negatively affects the atmosphere at work, lowers employee morale and reduces productivity. Bullying can also lead to an increase in absenteeism and staff turnover, as well as to conflict and litigation.
How to respond to bullying?
Each of us can contribute to combating bullying at work. Here are some steps we can take:
- Victim Support: If we witness bullying, we should offer support and help to the victim. We can talk to her, listen to her and advise her where she can seek help.
- Responding to bullying behavior: If we see someone being bullied, we should react. We can bring the bully to our attention, stand up for the victim, or report the matter to superiors.
- Building an organizational culture that fosters respect: We should promote values such as respect, tolerance and empathy. We can organize anti-bullying training and create procedures to prevent bullying.
Where to look for help?
People who experience or witness bullying can seek help from various places:
- With superiors: If possible, report the matter to your immediate supervisor or another HR person in the company.
- In a labor union: A labor union can provide legal and psychological support to a bullying victim.
- At the State Labor Inspectorate: The PIP can inspect a workplace and impose penalties on an employer for failure to comply with regulations on preventing bullying.
- With a psychologist or psychiatrist: People who have experienced bullying often need professional psychological help.
Let‘s remember that bullying is a serious problem that can have devastating consequences for the victim. Let’s not be indifferent to the suffering of others. Let’s respond to bullying, support victims and create an atmosphere of respect and safety in workplaces.
