Bullying
Bullying: workplace culture, employee management, workplace violence
Bullying has been a word common to us all and we either encounter it or we hear about it from the people around us in our day to day activities. Bullying can simply be described as the unlawful oppression of an individual. Bullying can come in different forms and shades.
Types of Bully
- Physical bullying: this is usually the most obvious type of bullying because it involves the use of physical means to oppress an individual. The bully in this case uses actions (like hitting the victim). In this type of bullying, the bully is obviously bigger, stronger or in a more advantageous position than the bullied.
- Verbal bullying: this type of bully in usually done by the word of mouth. The bully uses every verbal means possible to get to their victims. It usually involve name calling, and most time could be very hard to dictate or prove because the bullies attack their victim when people are not around. This type of bully mainly occurs among kids and in most cases, is treats light by just telling the attacked person to ignore the bully but it should be treated with every manner of seriousness because like every other bully, it has some negative psychological effect on the child. Aside the kids, verbal bully is also found in the workplace. An employee or even the employer might for some reason choose to make the working environment unbearable for another employee by throwing tantrums and calling the person names. This type of bully in the workplace may go on for a very long period of time because it could be done silently and others may not notice it. What this type of bulling does to the victim is reducing his or her confidence and making the person uncomfortable in the workplace.
- Cyber bullying: this is use of smartphones, computers, other technologies and the internet to hurt someone’s feelings. In involves posting of hurtful images, sending threating messages, and sharing activities that will hurt another. Cyber bully in the workplace is on the increase these days because is nearly the new way of doing almost everything. Always making a hurtful statement about an employee on the work group chat is a form of cyber bully. Restricting an employee’s work internet clearance or access as a means of intimidation is also categorized as cyber bully. The effects of cyber bully are much because the internet makes it easy for the bullies to attack their victims even in their homes.
- Sexual bullying: sexual bully is not a new word in the work place. Over time, it has become a frequent occurrence in many work places. It is the continual harmful attack to a person sexually. It may involve unwanted touching of a person especially in their sex organs, pornographic materials, vulgar gesture among others. Unfortunately, sexual bullying in the work place always comes from the victim’s superior and it makes the working environment a hell for the victim. Sadly, it may eventually lead to the victim giving in to the attack or leaving the job just to have peace. Sexual bullying could happen to either a man or a woman.
- Relational aggregation: this is regarded as the most silent type of bulling because it is not easily noticed by people around. This is usually by bullies who want to hurt a person’s social stand. Some of its elements are rumor spreading and situation manipulation. Its effect is usually emotional. It the work place, relational aggregation can be done by anybody in the work place As a matter of fact, they are usually the victims of this type of bully. Sadly, victims of relational aggregation may not be aware that he or she is being bullied until it has eaten deep into the targeted circle.
How to deal with workplace bullying
- Create an understandable code of conduct: having a set out rules and the accepted behavioral pattern for a work place is a sure way of minimizing and possibly eradicating work place bully. Every employee must study the code of conduct and must be ready to abide with it otherwise, may have to quite the job. When body shaming, stalking, vulgar languages and other unacceptable conducts are removed from a work place, it reduces the risk of bully and makes the environment more conducive to work in.
- Be fast in your actions against bully: when you are in a position to stop bully or you get a report a bully going on the workplace in it is in your place to address the issue, you need to do it quickly as possible. Allowing it to linger may aid its continuation. Taking drastic measures in punishing offenders is the best approach to stopping bully in the work place. The punishment could come as suspension, demotion, or any other form of punishment that will send a warning to others who might be nurturing such idea.
- Having positive workplace culture: workplace culture is the understanding of an integrated goal and objective of an organization. A positive work place culture promoted employee’s respect and regard for it other. With a positive workplace culture, the main aim of every employee is to achieve the organization’s goal and they will what to do that in good relation with their colleague. Promoting a positive workplace culture is a great way of eradicating bully in the workplace.
Workplace violence
Workplace violence is referred to as any form of physical harassment in the workplace or even a threat of such. Workplace violence might not be a day to day activity in the workplace but it does happen from time to time.
Types of workplace violence:
Physical violence: this is the type of violence that involves the physical attack on the victim. It may include beating, fighting and other forms of physical attack.
Emotional violence: this type of violence might not be visible to everyone, but the victim is being hurt internally. This might come in form of abusive words, unrecognized efforts, demotion and so on. The victim may start doing badly in the job or may decide to quite the job.
Financial violence: this type of violence in experienced when an employee is under paid as a result of ill treatment. The attacker might decide to reduce the employee’s salary or wages as a means of punishment.
Sexual violence: this is one of the most common type of violence found in the work place. This involves sexual abuse, harassment and uninvited touching. The victim might not be able to speak up because of some reasons but he or she is actually being hurt on the inside.
By Tyler Burket, Human Resources
Strategic Security Corp.
