Getting Bullied at Work Leads to More Bullying
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Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock(NORWICH, England) — People bullied at work often don’t have the wherewithal to bounce back from harassment, which makes them vulnerable to other attacks by bullies.
Researchers at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, say that a study of nearly 350 Spanish employees found that those who were bullied often experienced “deteriorated mental health and decreased well-being.”
As a result, this left many of them weakened psychologically and turned them into easy targets for even more abuse.
Researcher Dr. Ana Sanz Vergel emphasized that in no way was the study trying to blame victims for not being strong enough to stand up to others who harass, offend or isolate them at the office. Rather, according to Dr. Sanz Vergel, “Employers need to have strong policies against workplace bullying.”
She adds that “training programs to help victims learn coping mechanisms could help to break the vicious cycle.”
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