Last year, my friend "Irene" encountered a nightmare of a boss. Her boss frequently yelled at his staff, sometimes flew into a rage for no reason, and threatened physical assault on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, Irene's situation is not uncommon. A 2000 study of Michigan residents found that one in five workers has experienced destructive bullying in the past year, and the phenomenon of workplace bullying is starting to receive some well-deserved attention.

The Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) defines bullying as "repeated illegitimate mistreatment of a targeted employee which impair[s] the target's psychological and physical health, and economic security." Such mistreatment can take the form of verbal abuse, work interference, and threatening, humiliating, or offensive actions against the target. The U.S. Hostile Workplace Survey 2000, conducted by the WBI, found that bullying was two to three times more common than illegal harassment based on gender, race, religion, or other factors. The same survey showed that bullying is a prolonged attack that lasted 16.5 months on average. The victim's confidence and ability to work productively are gradually destroyed, and many are forced to change jobs.

Workplace bullying has been called a "silent epidemic," since it often goes unrecognized, or is dismissed as a personality conflict or aggressive management style. In actuality, bullying is a form of psychological violence that inflicts long-lasting mental, physical, and financial damage on its victims, and poisons the workplace as a whole. Since there are few policies that address the problem directly, it can be very difficult for victims to defend themselves from bullying.

The WBI's survey found that 81% of bullies were bosses, 14% were the victim's coworkers, and 5% of workers bullied their higher-ups. Bullying behavior transcended gender, and half of all workplace bullies were women.

Bullies are motivated by selfishness, insecurity, and a desire to advance themselves regardless of the cost to others. They often feel threatened by capable individuals, and attempt to undermine their victims through verbal assault and humiliation. Bully bosses tend to be autocratic and overly controlling. They do not permit meaningful discussion or collective decision-making, and often take credit for others' work.

Bullies use various strategies, including: