Psychological abuse

There's a very useful article by Robyn Mann about (and called) "Psychological Abuse in the Workplace." (Provided here with the express permission of the author.)

Robyn Mann says, "This form of abuse systematically undermines self-esteem and destroys self-confidence through sustained undermining of the rights of another."

She highlights its insidious nature:

• The terrible toll on the self-confidence and the self-esteem of the victims,
• with effects that can extend beyond the workplace;
• that it's hard to identify, and
• hard to prove.

(This kind of abuse goes beyond the bullying I described in my "Squeaky wheel" posts.)

Over the years I've given Mann's article to quite a few victims. Reading it provided an important "Aha" moment of recognition. Understanding the nature of the abuse is a first step in addressing it.

Then there are three common remedial paths:

• pull the plug on the abuse — find an employer that doesn't tolerate such abuse. There's no shame in that.
• Wait it out. Although the abuse may continue, armed with the knowledge of what's happening further psychological damage is reduced or eliminated.
• Or, take on the abuser.

Strategies for taking on the abuser must be designed to address the way that the abuse manifests itself. There's no simple template, save for step one: Contact the Union. ▪

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in
stone monuments,
but what is woven into the lives of others.
—Pericles (495-429 BCE)