Are you a small- to Medium- size Business? Are you encountering or witnessing bullying or harrassment or both in your business? If , yes, then this article will guide you on the nature of Bullying and Harrassment and what you can do to eliminate or reduce it in your workplace.

The Difference Between Bullying and Harassment

Bullying and harassment are two terms often used interchangeably, yet they represent distinct behaviours that happen in various settings like schools, workplaces, and online platforms. Both can lead to psychological, emotional, and even physical harm to the individuals involved. Understanding the differences between these two forms of mistreatment is crucial for addressing them effectively as an employer or manager.

Free stock photo of abuse, adult, angry

1. Definition and Nature of Behaviour

Bullying: Bullying refers to aggressive, repeated behaviour aimed at an individual or group that leads to harm, humiliation, or intimidation. It is typically characterized by an imbalance of power, where the bully exerts control over the victim. Bullying can take multiple forms, including physical violence, verbal abuse, social exclusion, and cyberbullying.

Harassment: Harassment involves unwanted behaviour that violates a person’s dignity, creates an intimidating or hostile environment, or undermines a person’s sense of well-being. Harassment is often linked to personal characteristics like race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or disability. It can include unwelcome comments, gestures, jokes, or actions, and it may not always be repetitive like bullying.

2. Intent and Motivation

Bullying: The primary intent of bullying is to establish dominance or control over another person. Bullies often target individuals perceived as weaker or vulnerable. The motivation behind bullying can stem from various factors, such as jealousy, insecurity, or a need to feel powerful. The behaviour is typically driven by personal conflict and is not necessarily tied to protected characteristics like gender, race, or religion.

Harassment: Harassment is often motivated by prejudice or bias. It is commonly linked to a person’s identity or perceived identity, including race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, or age. In many cases, harassment involves discriminatory behaviour and can be legally actionable when it targets a protected class under anti-discrimination laws.

3. Legal Implications

Bullying: While bullying can cause serious harm, it is often not explicitly covered under the law unless it crosses into physical assault, harassment, or stalking. Many  workplaces, and organizations have policies to address bullying, but the legal ramifications are not always clear-cut unless the behaviour violates other laws (e.g., assault, defamation).

Harassment: Harassment is more often legally defined and actionable. In many countries, laws explicitly prohibit harassment in the workplace. Harassment tied to discrimination based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics is illegal under civil rights laws. Victims of harassment may seek legal recourse, and organizations are required to take steps to prevent and address harassment when it occurs.

4. Frequency and Duration

Bullying: Bullying tends to be repetitive in nature, with the bully targeting the victim over a prolonged period. The sustained attacks are meant to continuously harm or intimidate the target. The repetition of bullying exacerbates the emotional and psychological toll it takes on victims.

Harassment: Harassment can happen as a single, significant event or over a series of interactions. While it may be ongoing, it doesn’t necessarily have to be repetitive to be harmful or illegal. For example, a single racist remark or sexist comment can qualify as harassment if it creates a hostile or offensive environment.

Woman in Red T-shirt Looking at Her Laptop

5. Settings

Bullying: Bullying often occurs in environments where individuals interact frequently and develop hierarchical or social structures, such as schools, workplaces, sports teams, or online communities. Children and teenagers are particularly vulnerable to bullying in schools, while bullying can also occur among adults in work environments.

Harassment: Harassment can take place in almost any context but is particularly prevalent in workplaces, schools, public spaces, and online. Unlike bullying, harassment is more closely associated with workplace culture and professional environments where laws and regulations against discriminatory behaviour are enforced.

6. Power Dynamics

Bullying: The power imbalance in bullying situations often comes from social, physical, or psychological differences. The bully exerts control through fear, coercion, or manipulation. This dynamic is especially common in childhood bullying, where social status and physical size can create significant disparities.

Harassment: While harassment can involve an imbalance of power, particularly in the workplace (e.g., a supervisor harassing a subordinate), it is more commonly based on perceived social or cultural differences. Harassment targets the identity or personal characteristics of an individual, not necessarily their relative power within a social hierarchy.

Man Showing Distress

Conclusion

Although bullying and harassment share similarities in that they both cause harm, their differences lie in intent, motivation, and context. Bullying is often a personal power struggle, while harassment is more linked to prejudice and discrimination. Recognizing these distinctions as an employer or manager can help individuals, and policymakers better address each issue, ensuring that victims receive the protection and support they need.

Understanding the nuances between bullying and harassment is key to cultivating safer environments in the workplace, and online spaces, where all individuals can thrive without fear of mistreatment.

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