Workplace PTSD has been studied from several different angles, including causes of and reactions to physical violence; the impact of stress on sick leave and turnover; and conflict resolution techniques that go beyond mere disciplinary action.
I’ve been surprised to discover that there is also a literature on the causes and effects of bullying, in the workplace and in the schools.
The Andrea Adams Trust has identified the following characteristics of a workplace bully:
* unwarranted, humiliating, offensive behaviour towards an individual or groups of employees
* persistently negative malicious attacks on personal or professional performance which are typically unpredictable, unfair, irrational and often unseen
* an abuse of power or position that can cause such anxiety that people gradually lose all belief in themselves, suffering physical ill health and mental distress as a direct result
* the use of position or power to coerce others by fear or persecution, or to oppress them by force or threat.
Some of the most insightful comments on workplace bullying are contained on a UK website called www.bullyonline.org, referred from www.successunlimited.co.uk
Here are some excerpts:
(Bullycide: Death at Playtime) reveals the main reason why children are picked on: because they have a very low propensity to violence and a mature understanding of the need to resolve conflict with dialogue rather than violence. Bullies exploits these values – which society claims to cherish – and torment their prey for weeks, months, or years until the anger built up inside the target becomes uncontainable and explodes into violence. Because of their moral integrity and heightened emotional maturity, almost all targets of bullying will direct the anger onto themselves – which results in depression, self-harm or suicide. This heroic act is in stark contrast to the cowardly and thuggish nature of the bully who, when called to account, will aggressively but plausibly deny everything. The bully is often able to manipulate the perceptions of the responsible adults so that they also now victimise the target.
From www.successunlimited.co.uk, the following description of PTSD symptoms:
Untreated, PTSD symptoms can last a lifetime, impairing health, damaging relationships and preventing people achieving their potential. Sufferers often find that knowledge and treatment of PTSD (and especially Complex PTSD) is difficult to obtain. The symptoms include sleep problems, nightmares, waking early, flashbacks and replays, impaired memory, poor concentration, hypervigilance (which feels like but is not paranoia), hypersensitivity, detachment and avoidance behaviours, exaggerated startle response, irritability, violent outbursts, depression, undue anxiety and panic attacks. Survivors experience chronic low self-esteem, loss of self-confidence and abnormal feelings of guilt, either for having survived when those around them didn