A recent report from the website thebalance.com gives an estimate of 54 million Americans have been bullied at some point in their career.^[i] The aggressive act of bullying comes in the forms of physical contact, words or interference. In any form, bullying intentionally and repeatedly causes injury or discomfort. In the workplace, it may occur between a boss and subordinate or between coworkers.

Bullying is a physical, safety and an emotional issue whose results include increased absenteeism, employee turnover and sometimes lawsuits. A bully often feels a sense of power by bullying those who are unlikely to respond or report the negative behavior. A bully will use threatening, humiliating or intimidating language. The bullied person often has trouble defending himself. The behavior is unsolicited and often difficult to defend. In addition to targeting vulnerable coworkers, bullies may target those they find threatening. Often the bully’s target is a capable, competent employee who is seen as competition. In “Who Is a Workplace Bully’s Target?” by Sally Kane, Kane says envy or jealousy frequently drives bullies to put down other coworkers. “Workplace bullies often target employees who excel at their jobs and are liked by their supervisors,” says Kane. “Bullies seek to elevate their own status within the organization by pushing others down or sabotaging their work.”

Bullies also look to disrupt a collaborative work ethic. Those with an unhealthy drive for power can interfere with a healthy team dynamic by targeting those coworkers who thrive in a group setting. Studies show that women and racial minorities are also frequently bullied. Here are some tips to identify bullying and address the issue:

Perfect the poker face – Remember when your mother told you to smile in the face of adversity? Remember how hard that was…is? A bully wants an immediate reaction. Don’t give it to him.

Be straightforward – If you can’t resist replying to a bully, use logic. It’s the last approach he will take and sometimes it can throw someone off. Stay calm and reply with a strong statement or question.

Make a case – Document your grievances and speak to someone who can work on your behalf. This is easily done if a coworker is harassing you with the written word. Cyberbullying is not only found on social media or in the teenage sphere. Keep a dated log of printouts.

Get the facts – If you don’t know your company’s policy on employee conduct and how to resolve conflict in the workplace, read your company manual or speak to your Human Resources Director. This may be a great opportunity for your Human Resources Specialist to do a company-wide review of policies and procedures or conduct a team-building exercise. It is possible that coworkers are not familiar enough with each other to know how or why someone behaves in a certain way. That doesn’t give anyone the right to harass another employee, but a discussion about expectations might explain a variation in perspective when it comes to behavior and conflict resolution.

^[i] https://www.thebalance.com/who-is-a-workplace-bully-s-target-2164323