Bullying in the work place

Bullying occurs in the work place every day and is a concern for many. To be clear, bullying is aggressive and unwanted behavior that is often repeated and includes such actions as attacking someone physically or verbally, spreading rumors, purposely excluding someone from a group, spreading rumors or making threats.
When bullying occurs in the work place it can create substantial problems such as causing a person to be unable to concentrate or initiate health problems such as stress, depression and anxiety. Never knowing when the bullying will start up, can also bring on worry; always wondering what to do when the bullying begins. In addition, those who are bullied often feel isolated and may struggle with an eating disorder or may even contemplate suicide. Workplace bullying can also make a person feel disoriented, confused, powerless and helpless. Most importantly, studies have been conducted that show that those who are bullied in the workplace often need medication to cope with the bullying incidents such as antidepressants or tranquilizers.
Besides causing physical and mental concerns, bullying can cause harmful effects for employers such as impacting worker morale, reducing productivity among employees, creating a hostile working environment, creating unwanted legal issues for a company and impacting workers compensation claims. Besides affecting the person who is bullied, bullying also affects customers, clients, co-workers, family and friends. There are other effects of bullying in the work place such as an increase in sick leave, additional costs to recruit and train new employees and creating a poor public image. Keep in mind, those who are bullied at work often begin to fear going to work; for fear that the bully may cause him or her physical harm. In some cases, a bully's behavior will worsen if no one takes action to stop his or her behavior.
There are certain positive and effective steps that can be taken when responding to a bully such as first evaluating the situation. Take a close look at what is going on. Ask yourself, "Is this person bullying just me or is he or she bullying several people?" Also ask, "Am I giving this person too much authority and power over me?" Then, after you have answered these questions, don't back away and allow this person's behavior to continue without responding in a strong way such as standing firm when a bully is being verbally abusive. We all give signals to others on what is acceptable behavior and what is not. Bullying is not acceptable behavior. So, don't allow yourself to be an easy target. Stand firm and look him or her straight in the eye.
Next, document everything that goes on with this person; such as when, where and how long the bullying occurs. Documenting their behavior can be your best defense should things worsen. Most importantly, don't allow this person to edge you into a verbally abusive scene. If the aforementioned measures don't work, then you may need to ask for help from a trusted superior. In most cases your HR department can be of help because they are trained and have the experience to handle this kind of workplace situation.
To conclude, if after seeking help from your HR department or trusted superior and nothing gets better, it may be time to look for another job. It is not good to remain in a situation that could become dangerous. Like every employee, you deserve a safe and comfortable work environment.