{"id":12250,"date":"2022-04-14T13:32:17","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T13:32:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/?p=12250"},"modified":"2022-06-10T04:03:10","modified_gmt":"2022-06-10T04:03:10","slug":"how-to-deal-with-adult-bullying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diamondlaw.ca\/how-to-deal-with-adult-bullying\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Deal With Adult Bullying"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s quite common for people to associate bullying with experiences suffered by children and teenagers. Whenever we hear about it, we often think about students picking on each other during class or break. It\u2019s become a normal scenario since many children have been exposed to it at a young age. However, it\u2019s not limited to childhood or adolescence, as many adults undergo bullying in the workplace<\/a> and at home. Over the past decade, adult bullying has received more attention from the mainstream media.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Statistics show that adult bullying has been globally prevalent and that 40% of <\/span>Canadians experience bullying in the workplace<\/span><\/a> each week. However, what is perhaps most alarming is that many people seem to tolerate this kind of unpleasant behaviour. In a survey conducted by Harris Poll, 43% said that <\/span>adult bullying had been accepted<\/span><\/a> in recent years. However, many people fail to notice the impact this type of behaviour can have on people. This article will provide a background on adult bullying and some tips to handle it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Constitutes An Adult Bully?<\/b><\/h2>\n

We often think that we become better as we mature. Unfortunately, that is not the path everyone takes. It is wrong to conclude that only children and teenagers can become bullies. Adult bullies are present in different places, but we usually do not perceive them as bullies. The thing is, we have already conditioned ourselves to think that bullying happens only in schools and playgrounds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Little do we know that bullying can take various forms. While bullying is often associated with aggression, verbal bullying among adults is more common.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adult bullying can be observed at home and in the workplace. The motivation of adult bullies is possibly to gain power over a person or make themselves appear dominant. Public and private humiliation is an example of showing who is boss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other manifestations of an adult bully are belittlement and personal insults, intruding into the victim\u2019s personal space, and uninvited personal contact. At some point, adult bullying<\/a> and harassment may overlap. However, there are many ways to know <\/span>what adult bullying is<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Difference Between Harassment and Bullying<\/b><\/h2>\n

Examples of adult bullying may cover a wide range of behaviours, which is why we often confuse it with harassment. Adult bullies try to gain power and control, hurt or harm a person or make it hard for their victims to fight back. When the adult bully targets a person who is part of a protected class, which includes race, colour, disability, age, religion, ethnic or national origin and sex, it may become harassment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many different types of adult bullies and certain <\/span>cautionary signs<\/span><\/a> that someone is an adult bully. The following are the most typical categories of adult bullies:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Passive-aggressive Bully<\/b><\/h3>\n

The passive-aggressive behaviour of adult bullies appears to be the hardest type to spot. They don\u2019t directly attack or intimidate the victim. Rather, they act friendly but throw offensive remarks at another person, such as backhanded compliments, making you feel shaken or uncomfortable. They\u2019ll probably tell you it\u2019s an innocent joke, so you think it is wrong to get offended.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adult bullies of this type also like to gossip, make rude facial expressions and even mimic you while you are talking or doing something. In fact, the Harris Poll stated that over 20% had been gossiped about by their adult bullies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A narcissistic adult bully also likes to give his or her victim the \u201csilent treatment.\u201d The same survey shows that <\/span>25% of adults<\/span><\/a> have experienced it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tangible Bully<\/b><\/h3>\n

Tangible or material bullying often appears in the form of power-tripping or abuse. Adult bullies use their power or dominance as bosses or managers. They may also have authority over your finances to intimidate you and others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Physical Bully\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

This type of bully is someone who throws and breaks objects, engages in physical violence and even sexual abuse<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Verbal Bully\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Unlike backhanded compliments and sarcasm, verbal bullying is more direct and aggressive. Adult bullies often slur cruel words or statements at their targets. These include sexist, racist and homophobic remarks. Verbal threats and intimidation can also be a manifestation of a verbal bully.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cyberbully\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Cyberbullying is similar to verbal bullying, but the act is done on social media, through emails and text messages. Harassing messages, photos and emails can constitute cyberbullying.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Mental Implications of Adult Bullying\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Adult bullying has long been a rampant issue across the globe. Sadly, many people are still downplaying the seriousness of frequent boorish behaviour. Typical narcissist behaviour makes a narcissistic adult bully look better and more powerful than his target.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But the invisible scars that adult bullies leave on their victims can be massive. According to the Harris Poll <\/span>survey<\/span><\/a>, the following are the most common <\/span>effects of adult bullying<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n