Bullying is not only the venom-spewing boss who openly belittles subordinates. People think bullying is jumping up and screaming. It's usually much more subtle. The behaviors look childish, but they're done by adults. The people who experience it really suffer.
Researchers believe the pain is more acute today.
Blame it on a time of tumultuous corporate change, fraught with job cutbacks, new technology and pressures to do more with less. An uptick in the pace of corporate change, studies show, can also trigger a rise in bullying behavior. A 1998 survey of more than 400 employees found certain work changes, such as restructuring or layoffs, were significantly related to verbal aggression, says Joel Neuman, a State University of New York associate management professor who worked on the report. Other studies also have shown some gender differences, he says. A lot of these behaviors hurt when they happen and have a cumulative effect.