Despite most of the things we think we know about workplace bullying, one’s boss does not always have to be the bully. The relevant categories of workplace bullying are:  Upwards workplace bullying occurs when your employer or upper level is bullying and employee by using his or her power to threaten or control an employee. Downwards workplace bullying occurs in the revers and is seen when an employee is bullying his or her employer, manager, or any other upper level employee. Sidewards workplace bullying occurs when one employee bullies another. All of these categories of bullying can happen in one or more of the following types: Conflict escalation is a type of bullying that begins with a conflict. When the conflict cannot be resolved it escalates, and one person begins to target, intimidate, or bully the other. Retaliatory Acts are a type of bullying that happen in retaliation for whistleblowing or filing a claim for discrimination. In these cases, your employer, manager, or other employees, may target and intimidate you because you reported inappropriate behavior. Also, in cases like this, the behavior of your colleagues collectively could result in another type of bullying, sometimes referred to as mobbing. This occurs when the bullying is being bullied by a group of people, and often presents itself when person being bullies has violated group norms by reporting discrimination or blowing the whistle on illegal or hazardous employment practices, for example. Predatory behavior is a type of bullying that occurs when a predatory person singles out someone in an attempt to make them miserable or otherwise hurt them. This type of behavior is typically focused on a particular type or class of person and, as a result, can involve unlawful discrimination and turn into harassment.   The typical bully does his or her bullying through aggressive communication. They often do so through making a scene in public and using the language to create fear. This goes hand-in-hand with another type of bully; one who constantly criticizes you in an effort to humiliate you. This type of bullying also occurs in public for the most part, or through mass emails or group settings. Another type of bully may withhold resources, making it hard for you to do your job or do it correctly. This type of bully uses a manipulation tactic that sets you up to fail or prevents you from achieving performance goals.  Sometimes, however, bullying is accepted as normal behavior. In these instances, mistreatment can be ignored, and targets of this behavior can be considered “sensitive,” if they take offense. This can often be the case when the workplace bully does his or her bullying behind the scenes. In cases like this they are hard to spot, much less catch, and their behavior is easy to deny.