Workplace Mobbing, Bullying, and Sexual Harassment, and the role of Lifelong learning programs

Citation:

Tsiboukli, A. (2023). Workplace Mobbing, Bullying, and Sexual Harassment, and the role of Lifelong learning programs. In K. Kedraka & Eirini Tzovla (Eds). Learning through the Life Span: Trends, dimensions, practices and reflections (pp. 134-151). Alexandroupolis: Democritus University of Thrace. Copy at http://www.tinyurl.com/2przfcs5

Abstract:

Workplace mobbing, bullying and sexual harassment are not new phenomena. There were always there. Nonetheless, the recent few years more studies have highlighted their significance for the well-being of the employees and the workplace.

First and foremost, it is apparent to clarify the differences between mobbing, bullying and sexual harassment. In the first part of this paper, we are going to focus on workplace mobbing and bullying and in the second part on sexual harassment.

The term workplace bullying is usually encountered more often than mobbing. The differences between the two, mainly represent the differences between two schools of thought: a) the British School, where the term workplace bullying prevails and b) the Scandinavian countries and Germany, where the term mobbing is more commonly used.

Workplace bullying includes mobbing, that is the moral and emotional violation of another person, but it also expands to include the physical and sexual violation that derives from abuse of power. Workplace bullying refers to direct repeated aggressive behavior towards a person. This behavior results in the victim suffering psychological, physical, financial and/or sexual harassment.

Mobbing is a more passive aggressive form of moral and emotional harassment that offends the dignity of an individual and may cause him/her emotional damage. Mobbing, or else, moral, and emotional harassment, has several consequences for the person exposed to this experience but furthermore for the workplace as well.