Mobbing

Mobbing in the context of human beings means bullying of an individual by a group in any context, such as a family,

friends, peers, school, workplace, neighborhood, community, or online.

When it occurs as emotional abuse in the workplace, such as

"ganging up" by co-workers, subordinates or superiors, to

force someone out of the workplace through rumor,

innuendo, intimidation, humiliation, discrediting, and

isolation, it is also referred to as malicious, nonsexual, nonracial,

general harassment.

Development of the concept

Lorenz (1966)

Heinemann (1970)

Leimann (1980)

Davenport, etc.

In the workplaceIn the book MOBBING: Emotional

Abuse in the American Workplace, the authors identify mobbing as a particular type of bullying that is

not as apparent as most, defining it as "...an emotional assault. It

begins when an individual becomes the target of disrespectful and

harmful behavior. Through innuendo, rumors, and public

discrediting, a hostile environment is created in which one individual

gathers others to willingly, or unwillingly, participate in

continuous malevolent actions to force a person out of the

workplace."

The authors say that mobbing is typically

found in work environments that have

poorly organized production and/or

working methods and incapable or inattentive management and that mobbing victims are usually "exceptional

individuals who demonstrated intelligence,

competence, creativity, integrity,

accomplishment and dedication".

Psychological and health effects

ADJUSTMENT DISORDERS

Somatic symptoms

Headaches

Irritable bowel syndrom

Psychological trauma

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Major depression

At school

Following on from the work of Heinemann,

Elliot identifies mobbing as a common

phenomenon in the form of group bullying at school. It involves

'ganging up' on someone using tactics of rumor, innuendo,

discrediting, isolating, intimidating, and

above all, making it look as if the targeted person is responsible

(victim blaming).

In academia

Kenneth Westhues' study of mobbing in academia found that vulnerability was

increased by personal differences such as being a foreigner or of a different sex; by

working in fields such as music or literature which have recently come under the sway of less objective and

more post-modern scholarship; financial pressure; or having an aggressive

superior. Other factors included envy, heresy and campus politics.

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