Bullying is a social and psychological problem that we can face at any time in our lives, at school, university or work, and a bully is a person who suffers from deep psychological problems, and it is not easy to deal with bullying, and there are no simple solutions to it, as it can cause many feelings Humans are so helpless, weak, and disoriented, victims are often so shocked, embarrassed, or upset that they are unsure of what to do. Unfortunately, this reluctance or lack of response can open the door to further bullying.
Bullying exists in many forms: it can be physical (pushing, punching, hitting), verbal (insults or threats), or psychological and emotional (spreading rumors or neglecting someone in a conversation or a particular activity), according to the Parents platform. Recently.
With the widespread use of social media, bullying can occur outside of school or work hours via emails, text messages, and posts on various social media. These online posts, known as “cyberbullying,” are often extremely harmful.
One of the most dangerous types of bullying is that related to the work environment because of its serious effects, not only on the individual (the employee) himself, but on his family and children as well, as it can lead to leaving work or dismissal from him by a bully manager, which increases the problems of unemployment and poverty. and deprivation in the world.
Although there is no legal definition of bullying, it can be described as unwanted behavior by a person who may be your colleague or manager at work, or a group of people who form a special “lobby” within the organization in which you work. Degrading, including abuse of authority that undermines, humiliates, or causes physical or emotional harm to an employee, according to Fair Work.
Many instances of bullying happen verbally, and that doesn't stop you from telling your boss about the situations you're facing (Getty Images)
Forms of bullying at work
Examples of bullying at work can include the following forms, according to the British government platform (gov.uk) in a report on the subject:
A colleague of yours spreading malicious and malicious rumors about you within the organization.
Frustration during meetings by belittling your ideas, criticizing them or making fun of them in public.
That your direct manager is tasking you with a much larger amount of work than the rest of your colleagues.
Someone posting offensive, offensive or threatening comments or images on social media.
Attempting to impose opinions and preconceptions on you, while devaluing and ridiculing your achievements.
Mocking an employee's colour, race, religion, or beliefs by some of his co-workers.
upward bullying
Bullying can also occur in the opposite way from employees towards a manager or an employer, which is called upward bullying.
Forms of incremental bullying can include:
Show constant disrespect for the manager.
Refusal to complete tasks requested by the manager.
Spreading rumors about the manager.
Doing things that show the manager that he is incompetent or unable to do his job properly.
Some employees try to undermine the authority of their line manager by spreading malicious rumors about him.
It can be difficult if you are in a senior position to realize that you are experiencing bullying behavior by your employees, and here it is important to look at the real reasons for this behavior, for example there may be a broader problem related to the culture of the organization, which is why employers and managers should act Together to determine the cause of the problem and treat it, according to what the acas.org platform reported.
counter bullying
Confronting bullying is very necessary to stop and reduce it, because not confronting bullies exacerbates the problem and leads to profound psychological, social and economic consequences.
In some cases, the bully may not realize the result of his actions. Humans are fully capable of justifying their actions, no matter how disgraceful, and here is the beginning of talking with the bully and explaining the consequences of what he does, for example: explain the bad feelings that you have as a result of his actions, and the anxiety and tension that accompanies you outside an environment Work home, and the devastating psychological, economic and social consequences of this behavior, and in this talk be firm but not aggressive, stick to the facts and mention the series of behaviors that the bully has practiced against you.
If you do not feel comfortable talking to the person in person, you can write an email or talk to someone in the organization, this person could be your line manager, another manager you feel comfortable with and trust, or someone in charge of human resources, or A consultant within the organization in which you work, or your trade union, if any.
It's a good idea to keep a diary or record of bullying and remember that confrontation is necessary in all cases (Getty Images)
Bullying case record
It's also a good idea to keep a diary or record of bullying, including:
How did bullying make you feel?
The dates and times the bullying occurred against you.
Any physical evidence, for example: emails, screenshots of social media posts, or any other witnesses who witnessed cases of bullying.
Most cases of bullying happen out of the sight of others, so you may not have any witnesses or even physical evidence. Many cases of bullying occur with offensive or sarcastic words, but this should not prevent you from informing your manager of the cases of bullying you face from your colleague, remember that confrontation necessary in all cases.
Duty of the institution, managers and employers
Your organization should have a policy on bullying that explains how to deal with it, but even if there is no policy your employer is required to protect you while you are at work, and this includes dealing with bullying issues.
And always remember the basic advice, which is: Confront bullying and bullies wisely and deliberately and do not be afraid of him or them.