VICTIMS-THE EFFECTS
Work Trauma[bullying] has a devastating effect on the victim’s productivity,emotional and physical health.The victims waste,according to research between 10 and 52% of their time at work defending themselves and networking for support,thinking about the situation, being demotivated and stressed,let alone absences due to stress-related illnesses.
More often than not,victims blame themselves and doubt their own self worth. They feel shame and guilt and replay incidents over and over in their minds,wondering if they could have done something differently.They are anxious and troubled.In the severe cases,victims suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder[PTSD]
As one victim so eloquently described it on e-mail:There is a huge difference in the pre-bullied me and the post-bullied me. At present I jump at the sight of my own shadow,am terrified of meeting people,am unable to make eye-contact with people ,get extremely agitated if people raise their voices etc. At first glance someone might easily think ,no wonder he was bullied he has got no self confidence or anything! Yes these things are not the real me. It is just the way my trauma manifests itself.
Professionals and the public are often misled bt the vulnerability of the post-bullied person.Generally the trauma of the experience leaves the victim feeling powerless,disorientated,confused,helpless and paralysed. It tends to be sudden and overwhelming-as if it owns the person. In the above case the victim suffers from PTSD and the prognosis is that it may take him years to recover.
There is nothing “wrong with victims” In fact most people believe that if they do things right,work hard etc they will not become victims and they distance themselves emotionally from victims.This is just a way of coping with our fear of being at the mercy of another person-THE BULLY- But the closer we get to victims the closer we get to dealing with our own fears. Targets or victims are by no means wimps who deserve to be treated less than dignified.Victims are often selected for unfair treatment because of their abilities and competence and for the perceived threat they pose to the perpetrators career ambitions
It is slowly but surely reaching the hearts and minds of the public that workplace bullying and the trauma it causes is a gross violation of human rights. Victims need understanding and care during and after such a shattering experience. Â