Workplace bullying, a lurking threat

Bullying is usually associated with a school environment, and many people who are victims of it in school are relieved when they graduate, thinking that they may never experience it again in adult life. However, oftentimes, this is not the case.

Workplaces can be bullying grounds as well, and can even take bullying to levels of extreme harassment.

In these scenarios, new workers are shamed, threatened, and presented with impossible goals to the point of them giving up on the job and resigning.

According to a survey done by CareerBuilder.in, about 55% of Indian workers are bullied at work. 33% of them reported bullying by being falsely accused of errors that they did not make, and 32% of them reported bullying by being ignored, with their comments being dismissed or unacknowledged.

It is important to recognize when bullying is occurring. Workplace bullying can come in several forms, including undeserved criticism, subjection to constant nit-picking, threats and humiliation in front of others, exclusion from what is happening, ostracizing, singling out in a negative way, and unrealistic goals being given.

Bullying can cause stress, fear, anxiousness, and depression, and it can make people feel less confident about their work and their abilities.

However, there are many ways to tackle any form of bullying. It is crucial to be prepared for it, since catching someone off-guard with bullying can often cause the most stress and fear.

Additionally, one should be prepared for repeated acts of bullying by noting down the details of every act of bullying that has been done in the past and having that information at hand.

It is also important to know oneself and to set limits and boundaries for what others should say and do.

The most important thing about handling a bullying situation is to trust oneself to be able to take it on since confidence is the most effective way to fight bullying.

Image by John Hain from Pixabay (Free for commercial use)

Image Reference: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/bully-attack-aggression-bullying-655660/