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...dysfunctional personal interactions characterized bullying behaviors, personal attacks, attempts to denigrate others. Targets of workplace harassment may experience stress, depression, low self-esteem, loss of sleep, and even posttraumatic stress disorder. Strategies that counselors can use to work effectively with targets are discussed.
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Workplace environments are fraught with many challenges, but none are as prevalent and insidious as harassment from coworkers or supervisors (Baron & Neuman, 1996; Bjorkqvist, Osterman, & Hjelt-Black, 1994; Davenport, Schwartz, & Elliot, 1999; Einarsen, 2000; Field, 1996; Freiberg, 1998; Hoel, Rayner, & Cooper, 1999; Leymann, 1990; Marano, 1995; Quine, 1999; Vartia, 2001; Yamada, 2000). Workplace harassment occurs when an individual is the target of aggressive behavior by another coworker (Einarsen, 2000; Leymann, 1990) or from a number of other coworkers (Davenport et al., 1999; Leymann, 1990).
Workplace harassment can include yelling, glaring, cursing, temper tantrums, withholding of information and resources, public humiliation, refusal to delegate work, the arbitrary removal of responsibilities, unrealistic work demands (Anonymous, 2000; Davenport et al., 1999; Keashly, 1998; Leymann, 1990; Quine, 1999; Vartia, 2001; Yamada, 2000), and in some instances even physical aggression (Leymann, 1990). These behaviors often occur consistently over time (Brodsky, 1976; Leymann, 1990) and are designed to humiliate and intimidate the target (Davenport et al., 1999; Keashly, 1998; Keashly, Trott, & MacLean, 1994; Leymann, 1990).
Such workplace behavior is referred to by a variety of terms including mobbing (Davenport et al., 1999; Leymann, 1990), workplace bullying (Field, 1996; Hoel et al., 1999; Namie & Namie, 2000), workplace mistreatment (Price Spratlen, 1994), emotional abuse (Keashly, 1998), workplace aggression (Baron & Neuman, 1996; Neuman & Baron, 1998), work abuse (Wyatt & Hare, 1997), and workplace harassment (Bjorkqvist et al., 1994; Brodsky, 1976). Meanwhile, in the literature, individuals who experience workplace harassment are referred to as "targets" (Namie & Namie, 2000).
The International Labor Organization (ILO) has identified workplace harassment as one of the most rapidly increasing workplace problems (Chappell & Di Martino, 1998). In the United States, more than 4 million workers per year are likely to experience harassment while on the job (Davenport et al., 1999). No profession seems to be immune from workplace harassment. It occurs across the occupational spectrum from manufacturing and retail (Baron & Neuman, 1996; Namie & Namie, 2000) to higher education (Bjorkqvist et al., 1994; Price Spratlen, 1995) and health (Anonymous, 2000; Quine, 1999). Despite its prevalence, workplace harassment is often underreported and receives less attention than workplace violence (Freiberg, 1998; Neuman & Baron, 1998).
The purpose of this article is to describe workplace harassment and the implications for counseling clients who are targets of such behavior. More specifically, we discuss the key components of workplace harassment and the psychological and professional impact that it has on targets. We also discuss how counselors can identify and work with targets of workplace harassment.
Despite the prevalence of workplace harassment (Keashly, 2001), there is limited information that describes how counselors can address this growing workplace problem. By describing its characteristics, we can help counselors recognize and assist clients who are attempting to cope with the effects of workplace harassment. Because work is a significant part of people's lives, it is essential that counselors are aware of the impact of this increasingly common workplace condition (Davenport et al., 1999; Field, 1996).
THE CONCEPT OF WORKPLACE HARASSMENT
Workplace harassment often includes dysfunctional personal interactions among individuals that involve abusive and intimidating behaviors that are designed to demean the target (Anonymous,...
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