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Workplace bullies have always been on the scene. But they're now being recognized as productivity killers and potential legal threats to employers.

Some researchers claim one in every three employees will experience bullying at work. And the experts say bullying costs businesses more than $200 billion a year due to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism and high turnover.

A partial rundown of the corrosive effects of workplace bullying:

reduced productivity, efficiency and profitability

higher absenteeism, sick time and employee turnover

decreased morale and loyalty

increased costs due to recruitment and retraining

increased workers' comp claims

indirect costs though time spent dealing with bullying situations

negative effects on the company's image

potential fines for not abiding by occupational health and safety laws

legal costs from employees who bring lawsuits, and

potential increases to insurance and workers' comp premiums.

Bullying isn't automatically illegal. However, behaviors commonly associated with bullying often overlap with other behaviors that are illegal, such as harassment or bias.

The 8 most common bully personalities

Anton Hout, founder of OvercomeBullying.org, identifies these eight bully types:

1. The Screaming Mimi. This is the most easily recognizable type of workplace bully. Screaming Mimis are loud and obnoxious, and their abusive behavior is meant to berate and humiliate people. They thrive on the notion that others fear them.

2. The Two-Headed Snake. To a co-worker's face, this employee acts like a trusted friend or colleague. However, when the co-worker is out of earshot, this person will destroy his colleague's reputation, stab him in the back and even take credit for his work.

3. The Constant Critic. This bully's goal is to dismantle other people's confidence through constant - and often unwarranted - criticism. A critic will look for any possible flaw in someone's work and labors tirelessly to kill that person's credibility. Impeccable work? No problem: This type of bully isn't above falsifying documents or creating evidence to make others look bad.

4. The Gatekeeper. Every office has at least one employee who gets off on wielding his or her power over others - regardless of whether that power is real or perceived. Gatekeepers deny people the tools they need - whether it's resources, time or information - to do their jobs efficiently.

5. The Attention Seeker. This type of bully wants to be the center of the action at all times. They'll try to get on their superior's good side through consistent flattery and even come on as kind and helpful to their peers - especially the newer employees. However, if co-workers don't provide the right amount of attention, these bullies can quickly turn on them.

Attention seekers are often overly dramatic and relate everything to something that's going wrong in their own lives to garner sympathy and control. These bullies also have a tendency to coax personal info out of new employees - only to use it against them later.

6. The Wannabe. This is an employee who sees himself or herself as absolutely indispensable and expects recognition for everything. But Wannabes aren't usually very good at their jobs. To compensate, these bullies spend a majority of their time watching more competent workers and looking for areas of skilled workers' performance to complain about.

Wannabes will demand that everything is done their way - even when there are better ways of doing things. Because they're automatically opposed to others' ideas, they'll do everything in their power to prevent changes to their work processes.

7. The Guru. Generally, there's nothing wrong with this bully's work performance. In fact, it's not unusual for a Guru to be considered an expert in his or her own niche area. What these bullies offer in technical skill, however, they severely lack in emotional maturity.

Gurus see themselves as being superior to their co-workers. As a result, they don't consider how their actions will affect others, aren't able to fathom the possibility that they can be wrong and don't accept responsibility for their own actions. In addition, because these bullies feel as though they're "above it all," they don't always feel compelled to follow the same rules as everybody else.

8. The Sociopath. Intelligent, well-spoken, charming and charismatic, sociopaths are the most destructive bullies of all. Reason: They have absolutely no empathy for others, yet they are experts at manipulating the emotions of others in order to get what they want.

These bullies often rise to positions of power within the company, which makes them extremely dangerous. Sociopaths tend to surround themselves with a circle of lackeys who are willing to do their dirty work in exchange for moving up the ranks with them.

5 policy keys

The best defense a company can have against workplace bullying is a clearly worded policy that prohibits any type of bullying behavior.

Here are some components every good anti-bullying policy should include:

a clear definition of what is considered bullying - along with a list of some of the actual behaviors that meet the definition

an outline of how employees can report bullying, including guidance on what to do when the bully is the manager

a detailed explanation of the complaint and investigation process that will take place

a "no retaliation" clause to help employees feel safe about reporting problem behavior, and

a list of consequences of violating the anti-bullying rules.

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Watch out for these 8 workplace bully personality types

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Workplace bullies have always been on the scene. But they're now being recognized as productivity killers and potential legal threats to employers. Some researchers claim one in every three employees will experience bullying at work. And the experts say bullying costs businesses more than $200 billion a year due to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism and high turnover.

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Recent studieshave shown that workplace bullying is on the rise. Researchhas proven that almost 75% of employees surveyed had been affected by workplace bullying. The 2017 US Workplace Bullying Survey showed that almost 60% US workers are affected by it. It has also been shown that although workplace bullying is not equally split between men (70%) and women (30%), women tend to bully more women than men (more than 65% in both cases). Studies have also shown that women can carry unconscious bias against women.

Workplace bullying is also not carried out by supervisors and superiors alone, but also by co-workers. In all cases, it is a form of power struggle. An Australian study found that almost one in two Australians will face some kind of workplace bullying in their life time. Of those bullied, 40 per cent of people experienced workplace bullying early in their career.

A 2015 poll carried out by YouGov for the TUC revealed that nearly a third of people (29%) are bullied at work, women (34%) are more likely to be victims of bullying than men (23%), and the highest prevalence of workplace bullying is amongst 40 to 59-year-olds, where 34% of adults are affected. Nearly one third (29%) of Asian employees or those from other BAME backgrounds reported experiencing some form of bullying or harassment compared with 18 per cent of white employees.

A 2011 survey by UNISON supports these findings, with 60% from 6,000 respondents reporting either experiencing or witnessing bullying in their job. Additionally, in a report released in November 2015, the Acas revealed that their helpline received 20,000 phone calls in a year in relation to bullying.

Scary statistics indeed!

sually if a person genuinely feels they are being singled out for unfair treatment by a boss or colleague they are Do we really understand what workplace bullying is? There is no legal definition of bullying and there is no comprehensive list of bullying behaviours. The Trade Union Congress (TUC) states that "u probably being bullied".

ACAS defines workplace bullying as "offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means that undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the person being bullied". The Health and Safety Executive emphasises this is a pattern of behaviour rather than isolated instances, happening "repeatedly and persistently over time".

Bullying is tricky to define. What it definitely not is a one-off event. That would class as harassment. Bullying on the other hand is deliberately intended to dominate, cause distress and fear in the intended victim. Bullying often happens in private settings and by a person in authority and difficult to find material evidence for. Bullying doesn't happen "by accident", it has to be a deliberate action, and even though perpetrators might say they "meant no harm" when reprimanded, bullying often involves a planned campaign by the bully with the likelihood of negative intent. But, this is why it is so tricky to show as it involves a subjective assessment of the motives of the bully and intent is always difficult to bring to court. When I faced workplace bullying, I found it difficult to understand what was happening to me, I was scared and worried to talk about it to someone and cause "trouble", especially as it was from someone who was my line manager, and I was full of self-doubt to be able to carefully and objectively define it as "workplace bullying". Talking to several people since about their own experiences of workplace bullying, I have heard similar stories.

Although there have been some checklists for identifying bullying, individual contexts and cases differ. Also, with the changing workplace, and more than 15% of the workforce now self-employed, freelancers working on commissions and retainers, and from home, it is not easy to apply the same checklists. There are more than 2.8% of the total employed people in the UK on "zero-hour contracts" and the latest findings suggest that there are now nearly 1 million people on these insecure contracts where the contractual agreements and labour laws are much more vague. In these cases, because of the lack of job security from one day to next a more magnified and unusual power dynamics can be created between the employer and the employee which leaves the relationship even more open to abuse. In 2015, a report noted that job insecurity can "contribute to a climate conducive to negative behaviours, including bullying". With the rise of gig economy, the fear of losing a temporary job, and lack of any support from HR, employees are more vulnerable to workplace bullying.
What impact does workplace bullying have?
Looking at the effects of workplace bullying, the survey showed that nearly half (46%) of people say that bullying has an adverse impact on their performance at work, and the same amount believe it has a negative effect on their mental health. More than a quarter (28%) say it has a detrimental effect on them physically, and around one in five (22%) have to take time off work as a result of being bullied. More than one in three (36%) people leave their job as a result of bullying. Acas claims that bullying at work costs the UK economy £18 billion a year, from sickness-related absences (as a result of bullying), staff turnover and the reduction of productivity.

When I was bullied, initially it never even occurred to me that it was bullying. Gradually, it made me more and more miserable, increasingly worried and anxious about going into work, and just unsure of my own abilities. And, this is what workplace bullying does. It knocks the self-esteem of even the most resourceful and confident people, wearing them down so that they are less trusting of their own instincts and judgement and consequently unfit to work.

Studies have shown that bullying in the workplace will cause stress, damage self-esteem, impair cognitive functioning, and threaten emotional and physical health. People who are abused in this way are at increased risk of depression. This research showed a a direct link between what is known as "learned helplessness" and depression. There are cases of bullying induced post-traumatic stress and even suicide.

Besides direct impact on the person who is bullied, it also has an impact on those who are witnesses to bullying in the workplace. Bullying, aggression and a concerted effort to undermine an employee creates a negative work environment. Fears of facing a similar fate is stressful and the helplessness is disempowering leading to low morale in the workplace and drop in productivity.

The data clearly shows that workplace bullying is so much more widespread than the attention and acknowledgement it receives. People are reluctant to speak about this, often they have been pushed out of jobs with redundancy packages and severance contracts that forbid them from speaking out. Often they just wish to put the past behind them. There is also a sense of guilt as if they'd brought it upon themselves, a classic mindset of someone who has been bullied.

It is clear that we need clearer guidelines and employers need to be firm and take stronger actions. In the next article, I will examine the legal rights of employees when it comes to workplace bullying.

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Here Is Why We Need To Talk About Bullying In The Work Place

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Do we really understand what workplace bullying is? And why should we be talking about it? In this article, I demonstrate that the data clearly shows that workplace bullying is so much more widespread than the attention and acknowledgement it receives.

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Young adult author Zack Van wrote about bullying, "Bullying build character like nuclear waste creates superheroes. It's a rare occurrence and often does much more damage than endowment."

Bullying is no secret to children. And if there is one thing we can agree on, it conjures grave and long-lasting consequences. According to National Voices for Equality Education and Englightenment (NVEEE), a child is bullied every seven minutes.

This bears repeating: Every. Seven. Minutes.

Other important statistics identify nearly 30 percent of middle school through high school aged students are victims of bullying, and over 70 percent of young people witness bullying in their schools.
Effects of Bullying
The dangers are disturbing. According to PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center and StopBullying.gov, students who experience bullying are at an increased risk for:

* Poor school adjustment
* Missing school ( reportedly 160,000 children miss school each day due to bullying)
* Sleep difficulties
* Anxiety and depression
* Feelings of sadness and loneliness
* Loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy
* Decreased academic achievement (GPA and standardized test scores)

However, the effects aren't just on those who are bullied. Individuals who do the bullying are also at a higher risk to:

* Abuse drugs and alcohol
* Get into fights
* Drop out of school
* Engage in early sexual activity
* Be abusive
How the States are Ranked
WalletHub took data from multiple data sets including the U.S. Census Bureau, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a handful of other sources to compile a national ranking of which states have the worst problem of bullying in the United States.

The most egregious offender? Michigan.

Louisiana, West Virginia, Montana, and Arkansas rounded out the top five.

WalletHub also interviewed 14 experts ( you can view all of them here), who offered their perspectives regarding this data.
Moving Forward
While there may not be a direct end in sight, between grades 6 and 12, parents can play a big role in interrupting the course of this type of torment and theseintimidation tactics by teaching children to be open-minded, and promoting non-violence, tolerance, and an overall good-natured lifestyle.

Parents can focus on these topics when talking to children:

* Stand up for other kids
* Talk to teachers, parents, other trusted adults about any problems
* Use the buddy system
* Become a school advocate

Making sure your children know you love them and creating a positive home atmosphere where they feel welcomed, confident, and understood will go a long way to boosting their self-esteem and decreasing the likelihood they become bullies.

Children who understand why bullying is wrong can be a frontline of defense against bullies in school, at the playground and online. It starts by standing up for peers and living the positive values taught by parents to create national change. Parents, kids, and communities combating bulling are modern-day superheroes!
If you would like to bring Childhelp's anti-bullying and child abuse prevention curriculum to your school, click here to learn about Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe and it's lifesaving potential.

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The United States of Bullying- States Ranked By Biggest Bullying Poblems

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Young adult author Zack Van wrote about bullying, "Bullying build character like nuclear waste creates superheroes. It's a rare occurrence and often does much more damage than endowment." Bullying is no secret to children. And if there is one thing we can agree on, it conjures grave and long-lasting consequences.

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Newsela | Opinion: Can winning be attained without resorting to bullying?

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A third of students say they were bullied last school year, according to a report released today by non-profit group YouthTruth.

That's an increase from two years ago, when just over one in four students had been.

The survey was based on responses from more than 160,000 secondary students in 27 states. YouthTruth is hoping the results will be the catalyst for teachers and school districts to take bullying seriously and work with students to put an end to harmful behaviors.

Middle school students were more likely to be bullied than high school students. Nearly 40 percent of middle-schoolers said they'd been bullied; 27 percent of high-schoolers said the same.

Most bullying happens in person, with the majority of students saying they'd been verbally harassed.

Most students who were bullied said it was because of how they looked. Sexual orientation and race were the next highest reasons.

Higher rates of bullying were reported at majority white schools. Students of color in these schools experienced a steeper increase in bullying over last year.

Bullying affects health and well-being

The impact of bullying can be far-reaching.

Youth and teens who are bullied can get physical injuries, experience social and emotional distress, inflict self-harm and can even die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It increases their risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, lower academic achievement and dropping out of school.

Kids who bully are at increased risk for substance use, academic problems and violence later in adolescence and adulthood, the agency said.

Students at the greatest risk for mental and behavioral problems, though, are those who bully others and are bullied themselves.

What parents and teachers can do to stop bullying

Having conversations with students about their experiences with bullying - and really listening to them - is a crucial step in stemming bullying, according to YouthTruth. Then, teachers and administrators can develop lesson plans and resources to help.

You can find more information about bullying and how to address it at stopbullying.gov, teacher.org and the National Education Association.

"We hope this data can inform conversations and support efforts to decrease bullying for all students," said YouthTruth executive director Jen Wilka in a statement. "Building equitable schools means that all students feel welcome and supported."
READ MORE:

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One third of middle- and high-schoolers were bullied last year, study shows

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A third of students say they were bullied last school year, according to a report released today by non-profit group YouthTruth. That's an increase from two years ago, when just over one in four students had been. The survey was based on responses from more than 160,000 secondary students in 27 states.

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Bullying: An Epidemic?

Imagine you are walking down the street with a friend, enjoying a nice walk on a beautiful day. Suddenly, you hear a commotion and look to your left. You see a group of children, maybe around the age of 12, taunting another child. You hear the group calling names, and you watch in horror as one of the children in the group shoves the other child to the ground. The others laugh and mock the child as he lies on the ground. What do you do?

Bullying is any situation in which children, adolescents, or even adults engage in behavior that is intended to harm another person. Bullying tactics can range from verbal insults to physical altercations. In fact, between 20 and 28 percent of children in grades 6-12 report having been bullied at least once in their lifetime. And since only about 36 percent of children report being bullied to an adult, the actual number of children and adolescents being bullied is significantly higher. Bullying does not necessarily end once you become an adult, either; 27 percent of adults report being bullied in the workplace, although fewer than 20 percent will actually report it. More than half of workplace bullying is perpetrated by a supervisor or other person in power.

To Intervene or Not?

Not all children or adults will be bullied in their lifetime, but at least 70 percent have reported seeing bullying occur at least once. Almost 40 percent have seen bullying occur on a regular basis (weekly), yet very few people intervene during a bullying incident. Let's go back to the initial situation, in which you were walking with your friend and saw a child being bullied. As a bystander, you could ignore the bullying, alert an adult, talk to the bully about his or her behavior privately, or confront the bully during the situation. If you choose to confront the bully, it is almost 60 percent likely the situation will end within 10 seconds. Knowing that fact, would you choose to walk away or take action?

Types of Bullying

Bullying can take various forms, from verbal or social to physical and cyber-bullying. The following chart shows the different types of bullying and the frequency with which each occurs (numbers are rounded).

Verbal bullying tends to be the most common form, with negative remarks on social media being the least common. Children and adolescents can be victims, perpetrators, or play both roles in terms of bullying. According to one study, about 41% of students in grades 4-12 reported some involvement in bullying within the past month. The following chart gives a breakdown of the role children of that age group play in bullying (numbers are rounded).

Risk Factors and Effects

Bullying happens to most children from time to time. However, certain characteristics may make a child or adolescent more vulnerable to bullying. The following are issues or characteristics that increase the chance a child or adolescent will be bullied at some point in life:

Diagnosis with special needs, such as autism or Down's syndrome

Being overweight

Being a part of the LGBQT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, or Transgender) community

Having a physical limitation or deformity

Labeled as different or weird due to some personality trait or interest

Race and physical characteristics are two of the main reasons children and adolescents report being bullied. When asked why they believed they were bullied, children reported looks (55 percent), body shape (37 percent), and race (16 percent). Children who are bullied because of their race (an uncontrollable factor) tend to suffer the impact of bullying more severely, experiencing not only mental but physical effects as well.

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bullying in america: facts & statistics | study.com

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Bullying in America: Facts & Statistics | Study.com

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Imagine you are walking down the street with a friend, enjoying a nice walk on a beautiful day. Suddenly, you hear a commotion and look to your left. You see a group of children, maybe around the age of 12, taunting another child.

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Newsela | Student Opinion: Bullies need to be brought to justice

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Schools aren't doing enough to curb the rise in bullying

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Newsela | Teen suicide rates rising, study says social media use could be a factor