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Moderate to Severe Bullying

Moderate to severe bullying differs from mild bullying in that it reflects a dominant work style that consists of recurrent and persistent negative actions toward one or more individual(s), which involve a perceived power imbalance and create a hostile work environment (Salin, 2003). Bullying becomes moderate to severe when the instances of abuse increase in frequency and personalization; the key is intent to harm or humiliate.

Specific Actions Associated with Moderate to Severe Bullying

Examples of behavior that indicate moderate to severe bullying include: 

  • Routine public responses that are dismissive (shun, shut down, ignore, or respond condescendingly)
  • Dismissive interpersonal communications (shut down a conversation and not allow the other person to communicate his/her perspective)
  • Ongoing misinformation (“forgetting” to share need-to-know information which makes the other person look foolish or humiliated by “not knowing”)
  • Sabotage and/or creating a situation of impossible demands whereby the other person is left out or will fail to meet expectations
  • Spreading rumor, half-truths or blatant lies about another; denying the behavior
  • Acting impatient in a way that treats the other as incompetent
  • Excluding specific people from social interactions that would typically be inclusive; appears intentional to others; recruit others to do the same
  • Publicly ridicule, insult, make jokes about person in his/her presence
  • Routinely blaming and criticizing
  • Intimidation by glaring, acting forceful, interrupting, shutting down another person (also includes contradictions and silent treatment)
  • Falsely accusing another of “errors” not actually made
  • Singling out another in condescending and unprofessional way
  • Yelling, screaming, or throwing tantrums in front of others to humiliate the person
  • Retaliation for the person reporting or asking for help
  • Little to no insight to treatment of others; not aware of how others experience bully’s interactions; no apologies for difficult interactions

Johns Hopkins Continuum of Disruptive Behaviors at Work

Behaviors of Concern Begin
Early Identification of Safety Concerns
Higher Risk for Workplace Violence, Despair, Suicide
Behaviors of Concern

Inappropriate Behaviors

Inappropriate behavior is often seen as the way a person “broadcasts” him or herself. When inappropriate behavior is not managed, one may push the limits and become disruptive. Some specific actions include: making rude, loud, and off-colored remarks, telling degrading jokes, and swearing in public.

Behaviors of Concern

Disrespectful and Rude Behavior

Disrespectful behavior is more hostile than inappropriate behavior and is usually aimed directly at another person. Some specific actions include: criticizing or dismissing achievements, degrading others, and shouting.

Early Identification of Safety Concern

Mild Bullying

Johns Hopkins has defined workplace bullying as repeated mistreatment of a person that may result in harm to one’s health and that takes one or more of the following forms: verbal abuse; offensive conduct/behaviors that are threatening, intimidating, or humiliating; or interference that prevents work from getting done.

Mild bullying includes the behaviors defined above which are aimed directly at another person. Some specific actions are denying access to necessary information, creating isolation, and giving the silent treatment.

Early Identification of Safety Concern

Moderate to Severe Bullying

Johns Hopkins has defined workplace bullying as repeated mistreatment of a person that may result in harm to one’s health and that takes one or more of the following forms: verbal abuse; offensive conduct/behaviors that are threatening, intimidating, or humiliating; or interference that prevents work from getting done.

Moderate to severe bullying includes the behaviors of mild bullying with increased frequency and personalization of mistreatment. Some specific actions are starting gossip campaigns about a person’s character, falsely accusing someone of errors, imposing impossible deadlines, and retaliating for perceived wrongs.

High Risk Behaviors

Stalking

Stalking involves individuals who harass, follow, or give unwanted attention and gifts. Specific actions include: a pattern of repeated unwanted, intrusive, and frightening communication by phone, email, text, or social media.

High Risk Behaviors

Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence

Domestic/intimate partner violence occurs when one partner uses physical violence, intimidation, threats, or emotional, sexual, or economic abuse to control the other partner.  Because the controlling partner can easily locate the victim at work, domestic violence can create a workplace safety concern.

High Risk Behaviors

Stated Threats

Stated threats express an emotional, sexual, psychological, or economic message of future danger. Specific actions include: a direct threat – I’m going to kill you; an indirect threat – I’m going to make sure that you get what you deserve; or a conditional threat – If he fires me, I will kill him.

High Risk Behaviors

Physical Violence

Violence is any action that threatens the safety of employees, residents, students, or patients; impacts their physical or psychological well-being; or causes damage to the institutions’ property.

High Risk Behaviors

Serious Injury and Harm

Serious injury and harm can involve the use of weapons, necessary medical attention, and homicide.

Development of the Continuum and Actions Associated with Behaviors

Informed by workplace bullying research, Safe at Hopkins examined risk-oriented conduct to define precipitating behaviors across a spectrum. This work led to the Johns Hopkins Continuum of Disruptive Behaviors at Work, which anchors the early intervention work of Safe at Hopkins. Examples for each category of disruptive behavior emerged as part of ongoing research on disruptive behaviors at work.

Modified from The Continuum of Negative Interpersonal Behavior, The Bully-Free Workplace, 2011, Gary Namie, PhD