Let’s say we go to a bar and someone there doesn’t treat us as we deserve.
We have two exits. On the one hand, we can confront that person, or we can ignore them and leave the premises. After all, would it be worth confronting someone over something trivial when it’s easier to never return to that bar?
Now, what happens at work or at school? It is not so easy to change schools or jobs, at least in the short term. If someone treats us incorrectly, we have no choice but to meet that person again the next day We will almost certainly go through the same thing over and over again until we take action on the matter.
This is one of the most harmful effects of bullying at school and at work. The victim feels cornered, as if there is no escape since everything happens in a place where the perpetrator has to go together.
Similarities between bullying at school and workplace bullying
The bully of children at school and the bully of adults at work present common traits Both exercise violence in the same way and for very similar reasons. They are deliberate and continuous abusive behaviors, and consist of harassing the victim to corner them.
In general, the acts carried out are of great cruelty. It is always exercised from the strong to the weak in bullying, and from the boss to the subordinate in mobbing. That is, it carries a marked character of power.
The person targeted by these attacks ends up feeling cornered when others join in against them. Isolates himself to the point of excluding himself from the rest This situation of grief affects the victim to such an extent that it leads, in extreme cases, not only to social death, but also to physical death.
Individuals who suffer from these realities sometimes come to think that they have no other escape from the situation they suffer. For this reason they opt for this drastic solution, but liberating for them. In any case, the normal thing is that the minor ends up changing educational centers, and the adult ends up changing employment.
How are bullying and mobbing different?
If, in general, bullying involves certain physical violence, Harassment in the workplace is presented in a very sibylline way It is usually more of a psychological harassment. In other words, while childhood bullying leaves traces, bullying experienced by adults at work is much more difficult to identify.
Besides, There is greater awareness in the case that concerns children Many institutes and schools have been developing support protocols for victims, so that children themselves can raise the alarm when they detect such behavior against other students.
On the contrary, an employee may feel more alone when faced with mobbing, since they do not know or have anyone on hand to protect themselves. Therefore, the feeling of being cornered is usually stronger.
As for children or adolescents, bullying can leave them with consequences for the rest of their lives. As they grow up, they could develop antisocial self-exclusion behaviors or even lead to violent attitudes That is why it is important to treat a victim of bullying with professional help, even after the threats have disappeared.
An adult, on the other hand, recovers more easily from the trauma suffered, especially if it has not extended over time. If you have been a victim, and you feel that the consequences still persist, contact a professional.
Why are cases increasing?
First of all, Bullying, both at school and at work, has been deliberately hidden by companies and educational institutions that have falsified data about real harassment. As a result, fatal events have occurred that have served to open our eyes to this heartbreaking reality.
Now more exact studies are beginning to be carried out by independent professionals that show the real figures of harassment in the two areas that concern us.
On the other hand, the denial of the facts has only caused the events to increase, since the perpetrator has been feeling unpunished for his actions
One of the most chilling facts is that during times of economic crisis, both mobbing and bullying tend to increase. Aside from this, increased awareness has resulted in the bully carrying out his misdeeds more subtly and with less intensity. For example, denying greetings, ignoring or isolating the victim, among other things. These attitudes are increasingly difficult to detect but that does not make its effects any less devastating.
Another negative effect of increased awareness is what is called bottom-up bullying. For example, the student who claims to feel harassed by a teacher and carries out a smear campaign without any proof. Or also, when a group of collaborators conspire against a company leader, accusing him of any act that destroys his reputation.
Trivialization is an extremely worrying fact, because it always ends up benefiting the real harasser. That is why It is recommended that there be an expert capable of evaluating the cases with reliable and concrete facts, not only through public complaints.
How is the matter resolved?
On the one hand, rapid detection and the existence of a protocol are two of the most effective tools to nip this problem in the bud. In the same way, the negative consequence for the perpetrator of such an act can prevent more victims from appearing. The lack of impunity is the best deterrent for all those aspiring harassers who intend to roam freely.
Regarding cases that have not been detected in time, our recommendation is that the victim seek professional help No matter how guilty you feel, you should take the step to therapy to get yourself back together after such a hostile event.
