Bullying and its effects

EFFECTS OF BULLYING

The effects of bullying on the person can be manifested by any or all of the following:

• Emotional effects (severe anxiety)
• Cognitive (concentration) effects (making mistakes, having accidents)
• Behavioural effects (smoking, excess drinking, overeating)
• Physiological effects (contributing to raised blood pressure, heart disease)
• Reduced resistance to infection, stomach and bowel problems and
• Skin problems.

The most serious effects remain fear, anxiety and depression, which can lead (and have led) to suicide. The effects on the organization as a whole can include:

• Increased absenteeism;
• Low motivation;
• Reduced productivity;
• Reduced efficiency;
• Hasty decision-making;
• Poor industrial relations.
  
  
  

People who are prone to bullying:

• Older employees
• Low status employees
• Employees who are unduly shy, lack education or learning ability, have physical disability or sensory impairment, or are known to be unwilling to complain
• Employees of a different gender or sexual orientation
• Employees who are members of a trade union which is not accepted by management or which is perceived by colleagues as not being the right trade union to be in.
• Employees who show a willingness to challenge harassment, (which can lead to victimisation)
• Employees who choose not to be a member of a trade union and as a result suffer harassment by colleagues
• Former prisoners
• Employees suffering from poor physical or mental health
• Employees with very noticeable physical characteristics
• Employees with religious or political beliefs not shared by their colleagues
• Employees of a different race, ethnic origin, nationality, or skin colour

FORMS OF BULLYING

The form which any of these kinds of bullying may take are:

• Physical contact
• Verbal abuse
• Implied threats
• Jokes, offensive language, gossip, slander, offensive songs
• Posters, photocopied cartoons, graffiti, obscene gestures, flags, bunting and emblems.
• Isolation or non co-operation or exclusion from social activities
• Coercion for sexual favours
• Intrusion by pestering, spying and stalking
• Repeated requests giving impossible deadlines or impossible tasks.
• Repeated unreasonable assignments to duties, which are obviously unfavourable to one individual.
• Vandalism of personal property (destroying clothing, scratching paintwork on cars).

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