Close X
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ADVT 
Life

Why Workplace Bullying Goes Underreported

The Canadian Press, 18 Feb, 2015 01:48 PM
  • Why Workplace Bullying Goes Underreported
Bullying at work deteriorates mental health of victims so much that they become anxious, leaving them less able to stand up for themselves and more vulnerable to further harassment, warns a study.
 
The research suggests that as workplace bullying is a vicious cycle, employers should not only crack down on workplace bullies, but also help victims gain the skills to cope with difficult situations.
 
"Examples of bullying at work include harassing, offending, or socially excluding someone repeatedly over a period of around six months," pointed out Ana Sanz Vergel from the University of East Anglia in Britain.
 
"We found that being exposed to workplace bullying leads to deteriorated mental health and decreased well-being. But at the same time, showing anxious behaviour puts the victim in a weak position and makes them an easy target - leading to a spiral of abuse," Sanz Vergel added.
 
The research team tested their theory on 348 Spanish employees. Participants were interviewed about their experiences of bullying and assessed for anxiety and vigour.
 
Bullying at work grinds victims down and make them an 'easy target' for further abuse, the findings showed.
 
"We are by no means victim-blaming here. Clearly employers need to have strong policies against workplace bullying. But training programmes to help victims learn coping mechanisms could help to break the vicious cycle," Sanz Vergel said.
 
The study appeared in Anxiety, Stress & Coping: An International Journal.

MORE Life ARTICLES

Happy couples hit bed together

Happy couples hit bed together
How you sleep with your partner may decide how your love life is going to be in the future...

Happy couples hit bed together

Physical violence disturbs stress hormones in women

Physical violence disturbs stress hormones in women
A new study has linked physical violence against women by male partners to a disruption of a key steroid hormone that may trigger various negative health effects....

Physical violence disturbs stress hormones in women

Teach guilt-prone employees to lead

Teach guilt-prone employees to lead
Individuals who are prone to feeling guilty for disappointing co-workers are among the most hard working employees. However, new research suggests...

Teach guilt-prone employees to lead

Understanding the sleep patterns of your child

Understanding the sleep patterns of your child
If your infant is not sleeping through the night, it may not be a reason to panic as sleep patterns of infants vary for at least the first three years of life, says a new study....

Understanding the sleep patterns of your child

Virtual body swapping could abolish race biases

Virtual body swapping could abolish race biases
With the help of a technique called virtual body swapping, researches have helped people change their attitudes with regard to others....

Virtual body swapping could abolish race biases

26/11 Mastermind Lakhvi Gets Bail, Shocked India Asks Pakistan To Act

26/11 Mastermind Lakhvi Gets Bail, Shocked India Asks Pakistan To Act
An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad Thursday granted bail to Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, a key mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, triggering shock and indignation in India which asked Pakistan to take steps to reverse the decision.

26/11 Mastermind Lakhvi Gets Bail, Shocked India Asks Pakistan To Act