Workplace Bullying – An Initial Sketch

Any of us who have experienced workplace bullying understand both how difficult it can be to bear and the sorts of people who are capable of piling such abuse upon their workmates.

There are a few types of workplace bullies, but they often share characteristics similar to the following:

• They are at heart insecure.
• They lack validation from others outside of the workplace.
• They often tie up their entire ego in their self-perceived workplace persona.
• They are often very lonely, lacking means of expression and support outside of work.
• They often have a perception of self which has little correspondence with how they would be described by others.

These characteristics can become part of their power within the office, as others often have a natural tendency to feel sorry for the oppressor, only to then become the object of bullying by the very person for whom they feel sorry. This reliance on the good nature of others can itself become part of the toolkit of the office bully, as he or she alternates between attempting to portray self as the victim and (once this portrayal is at least partial accepted) attacking the very staff who show sympathy.

The first step in dealing with the workplace bully is to understand the common characteristics of the bully and to understand how the sympathy of other staff is often used to the advantage of the oppressor.