Adult Bullying: : Perpetrators and Victims

Citation

Walton, M. (1998), "Adult Bullying: : Perpetrators and Victims", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 13 No. 1/2, pp. 122-122. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmp.1998.13.1_2.122.6

Adult Bullying is a very thoughtful and sobering book. It deserves to be read if only for the place it will have in highlighting, enumerating and further legitimizing this important topic as an important area for continuing attention.

Bullying is far too often viewed as a childhood experience, something perhaps that happened at school; something to forget ‐ something that was part and parcel of growing up but which has little place in adult life. This view, however, is far from the practical reality of contemporary life as the many case examples and descriptions in the book aptly illustrate.

Workplace bullying, bullying in the community, the origins of the bully, characteristics of the bullied are explored in this interesting and easy to read book. I think this is a book that will help many people ‐ those bullied, those who bully, and those who choose to observe this aspect of human behaviour ‐ come to terms with the prevalence, the enormity of the issue and the greater impact this has on personal and collective wellbeing.

The author outlines how the development of one’s capacity (1) to convert aggressive tendencies to assertive ones, and (2) tolerance for disagreement with others, are critically important capacities in personal development and how the extent to which these transitions are successfully fulfilled, or thwarted, provides some of the bases for bullying, and bullying behaviours in adults.

Perhaps the strongest reason for reading this book is that its findings are terrifying in the implications they hold for personal and organisational health. Bullying and bullying behaviour are prevalent and unless this is more openly acknowledged and worked with, the situation can only get worse. Read the book.