Preventing bullying and harassment in the workplace

Find out the impacts of bullying and harassment (WPBH) in the workplace, and discover workplace interventions that may help.

Defining workplace bullying and harassment

Workplace bullying and harassment (WPBH) are described as harmful experiences that occur at regular intervals over time in which the perpetrator behaves in such a way that it negatively impacts on another’s professional and personal life.

The types of behaviours seen when someone is being bullied include:

• violence towards an individual
• aggression towards an individual
• anti-social behaviour
• social isolation
• withholding critical information
• personal insults
• criticism
• name calling
• verbal abuse
• rumour spreading.

Other factors that have been associated with bullying and harassment include:

• poorly designed work
• a lack of control
• unmanaged conflict, which in turn can create a stressful working environment.

Feedback

To find out more about the Wellbeing at Work initiative, or to give us your feedback on the early material, contact Professor Joanne Crawford.

References

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