8 "Don'ts" for Victims of Office Bullying

Workplace bullying is a persistent patern of mistreatment from others in the workplace that causes harm. Bullying at work means harassing, offending, socially excluding someone or negatively affecting someone's tasks. For the label bullying to be applied to a particular act, interaction has to occur repeatedly and regularly over a period of time. Bullying is an escalated process in the course of which the person bullied ends up in an inferior position and becomes the target of systematic negative social acts. Bullies are usually someone in authority over the target. However, bullies can also be peers, and occasionally subordinates. In these times of job scarcity when good jobs are hard to come by, leaving a job because of bullying is not an option. It is, therefore, crucial to survive bullying at the workplace.

Below are some helpful survival tips for the victims of office bullying:

1. Don't react emotionally. Bullies are expert in the emotional manipulation of people. An emotional reaction is what the bully expect to get from his victim. It sort of impower the bully to create an emotional devastation on his victim. Staying calm and rational will stumped the bully.

2. Don't engage with them. No matter how much you want to stand up to the bully when you get bullied, don't! It will just create a scene which can wreck havoc. not only to the bully's reputation, but also yours, which is not a good thing. Moreover, it might make everyone in the office conclude that you are no better than the bully.

3. Don't get affected professionally. Never blame yourself for the bullying. It is not you, it is the bully! Be confident. Always bear in mind that you are capable and competent. The bullying has nothing to do with your actual work performance. Maintain professionalism. Get on with your work. Do it well.

4. Don't retreat into your office, cubicle or nook. Build relationships with your co-workers. Cultivate friendships at work. The friends you have at work will be your support network. If you are friendly to everyone in the office, the bully will have a difficult time getting anyone to turn against you. Even bullies need allies.

5. Don't be without a means to document whatever happens. Document what happened, when it happen, and who witness it, for evidenciary purposes. Just in case you need to elevate the matter to Human Resource. Your record will make your case.

6. Don't hesitate to get help from professionals. Seek professional advice from legal and medical practitioners. If you are a victim of workplace bullying, talking to other people who can help you put things in perspective, will help. Consult a lawyer who specializes in bullying and inappropriate or discriminatory behaviour in the workplace. See a medical practitioner for possible counseling, just to help you cope.

7. Don't be reluctant to bring the matter up to top

management through the Human Resource Office. Every company has a policy regarding how employees must conduct themselves in and even out of the office, written in the Employees Manual or something.

8. Don't try to reciprocate Do not dignify a bully and the bullying act by exerting efforts on retaliatory measures. It is not worth it. Bullies, at whatever age, are sick with mental or emotional sickness. Worst of all, they belong to a level beneath you. They will just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.