Workplace Bullying: The 6 Stage Cycle of Abuse

Dear Fellow Travelers,

I’m glad you’re here. 

Welcome to Newsletter # 2. This week I zoom in on the cycle of workplace abuse and offer up an infographic to summarize the six stages. 

There is great power in naming, because that which can be identified - can be talked about and stopped.

Welcome to the journey …

Workplace Bullying: The 6 Stage Cyle of Abuse

Workplace bullying begins like a blister, small, and undetected. Over time, however, it can render targets immobile, fully engrossed in pain, and completely surprised by what transpired.

As a researcher and university professor, I have interviewed over 200 targets of workplace bullying, across 29 industries, 35 states, and 10 countries. Most of these individuals were unaware that they were under attack until they were deeply rooted in the battle. Many experienced relief when they were able to name the abuse and understand the six stages of the bullying cycle.

According to Davenport, Schwartz, and Elliot, workplace bullying is “a malicious attempt to force a person out of the workplace through unjustified accusations, humiliation, general harassment, emotional abuse, and/or terror.” This may result in mental trauma and physical distress fostered by a toxic culture that tolerates and, at times, propels the abuse.

Though workplace bullying often catches targets off guard, the cycle is highly predictable. It unfolds over distinct stages, which were first documented by organizational psychologist Heinz Leymann and later expanded upon by other researchers.

Though each target’s experience is unique, the typical trajectory is as follows.

1. Target Identification

Targets of workplace abuse share common characteristics. They are often highly competent, creative, and top performers. They’re uninterested in office politics and possess a benevolent worldview. Targets tend to be highly respected in their work community, and colleagues often seek them out for advice. In contrast, bullies tend to be narcissistic, lacking in job expertise, and adept at taking credit for the efforts of others. Bullies often operate behind a veil of secrecy, seeking control through manipulation, gossip, sabotage, gaslighting, and isolation. Bullies are often threatened by targets’ competence, creativity, and social capital and thus go to work attempting to push them out.

2. Jealousy and Battle Plans

Once the bully identifies her target, she starts to plot her dismissal. She often begins by ingratiating herself, pretending to be a friend and ally in an effort to encourage the target to divulge personal information that can later be used as ammunition. The bully works to spot the target’s strengths, so in subsequent stages, she can attack them as weaknesses in an effort to erode the target’s confidence. 

3. Precipitating Event

The precipitating event is not the cause of the workplace bullying but rather the bully’s invitation to launch the attack. It may be something as simple as the target securing a promotion or a spearheading a successful campaign that inadvertently stole the bully’s spotlight. The bully uses this event as an opportunity to stir unrest and recruit bystanders to participate in the mobbing.

4. Underground Battle

The initial attacks are most often quiet, in the form of:

• Lunchtime gossip

• Insincere showings of concern, like “Trevor sure looks tired”

• And, whispers of incompetence, such as “Did you notice the mistakes Lisa made during this morning’s presentation?”

Next, the bully may begin to secretly interview colleagues regarding the target’s personality and performance, planting seeds of doubt and disdain, while advising them to keep their distance in an effort not to become “part of the problem.”

At this stage, bullies frequently contact Human Resources to express their “concerns” regarding the target’s performance and mental health. Often, HR will initially rebuff, citing the target’s stacks of accolades and accomplishments, yet will later acquiesce, directing the documentation process that the bully knows is necessary for the target’s termination. In addition, most bullies will share their concerns with upper management, creating employment protection in the event the target later attempts to go over their heads to solicit help.

5. Escalating Attacks and Mobbing

HR may place the target on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), offering vague reasonings and unattainable goals. At this point, rumors intensify, sabotage increases, and the target will be uninvited to meetings and social events and then penalized for not being there. Witnessing the abuse and fearful of being targeted next, bystanders will often join in on the attacks.

As the stress compounds and the isolation grows, many targets incur stress-induced physical and mental suffering that may include hypertension, gastrointestinal issues, migraines, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and symptoms of PTSD. Many targets will appeal to the bully’s superiors for help, yet due to the bully’s earlier priming, the target’s concerns are often minimized and dismissed.

6. Final Resignation and Coverup

After approximately 6 to 12 months of unrelenting emotional abuse, 67 percent of targets will be transferred, terminated, or constructively discharged. In an effort to cover up the abuse, some organizations offer small compensation packages in exchange for signing a Nondisclosure Agreement (NDA), forever silencing the target’s story.

At this stage, most targets are left unemployed, financially strapped, and without insurance at the very moment when their health is most vulnerable. Following their departure, the bully may continue the character assassination, hampering the target’s efforts to secure new employment. 

However, all is not lost. The target will eventually find hope and redemption by securing a job at a new organization with an innovative culture, whose values and mission align with her own. Many targets also find healing by lobbying for the enactment of protective workplace legislation and advocating for others who have had their dignity stripped at work.

Book Talk

This past week, I went on a winding, genre-bending, unexpected journey with Hernan Diaz’s novel Trust, longlisted for the Booker prize and a finalist for the Kirkus Prize. Diaz constructs a complex tale of empires, relationships, and an examination of how our life’s narratives are written and rewritten, often in ways quite distant from our truths. 

Writing Invitation

If you are a survivor of workplace bullying or have supported someone who is, how does the experience match up with the six stage cycle shared above: Target identification, jealousy and case building, precipitating event, underground battle, escalating attacks and mobbing, and final resignation and cover-up? 

You May Also Want to Check Out

The Predictable Cycle of Workplace Abuse: A 7 Act Play

Closing Question and Conversation Starter

This week I pose two questions on our Google Form:

1. Please share your own story of workplace bullying. I will select at least one story to share in our next newsletter. There is great strength in reading the stories of others, seeing ourselves in their narratives, and finding hope in community.

2. Do you have a question about workplace bullying or work cultures that you would like to ask? Each week I will select a reader’s question to post in the newsletter and offer up a thoughtful reflection based on the research. I will also encourage our readers to join in on the conversation too. 

*If you would like to share your thoughts, click on this LINK to go to the Google Form.

Sincerely  ~ Dorothy (Who is now reading Body of Work  by Pamela Slim and Less by Andrew Sean Greer)