Psychological harassment is a set of abusive behaviors in the form of acts, words, writings or gestures that violate and harm the identity and/or physical and psychological dignity of the person who suffers it. It is a problem that is sometimes difficult to detect that can cause damage progressively, since, to speak of psychological harassment, the behaviors must occur insistently and not in isolation. In this Psychology-Online article we will explain what is the psychological harassmenttreating both the concept and the types, causes and consequences.
What is psychological harassment?
In practice, the terms psychological harassment, moral harassment and mobbing are interchangeable. However, there are nuances between them that differentiate them. In this article we will focus on defining what exactly psychological harassment is.
Psychological harassment, according to professor in psychology and psychiatry José Luis González de Rivera, is understood as persistent and intentional maintenance of patterns of psychological abuse that take shape in certain actions. For example:
- Threaten, ridicule, stalk, criticize, persecute a person…
- Induce negative feelings in her such as fear, confusion, insecurity…
- Interfere with their mental dynamics, make it difficult to carry out their tasks, overload them with demands and expectations that the person cannot meet…
8 Types of psychological harassment
The types of psychological harassment are the following:
School harassment or bullying
Bullying consists of any type of psychological, physical or verbal abuse or aggression carried out within the school environment, but not necessarily within the classrooms. The bully repeatedly intimidates the victim he knows from his school environment, whether alone or in a group. Here you will find more information about it.
sexual harassment
Intimidating or coercive behaviors of a sexual nature, whether physical, non-verbal or, as in the specific case we are seeing, psychological. All the different behaviors included here can occur to different degrees, going from being mild and annoying to dangerous. In the following article we talk about.
Workplace harassment or mobbing
This form of harassment is characterized by occurring within the work environment. It is usually the one that occurs psychologically to a greater degree, through mockery, threats, spreading of rumors… There is a possibility that these behaviors end in violence but it does not always happen. The usual characteristic is that the work environment becomes a powerful source of stress. In this article we address the.
Cyber bullying
Virtual harassment. The harasser uses digital media to perpetrate his offenses or make the victim feel uncomfortable. The stalker’s main motivation is to create psychological and emotional discomfort for the victim in question.
School cyberbullying
The most frequent type of cyberbullying, already mentioned. It occurs in the school environment and also falls under bullying since it is normally another way to perpetuate bullying (through the virtual world). Here you will find more information about it.
Physical harassment or stalking
It consists of invasively and repeatedly pursuing the victim with the aim of establishing contact against the victim’s will. It’s a really uncomfortable type of harassment.
real estate harassment
Behaviors carried out by the owners of a home or property to get the tenants to decide to leave the building or cancel the rental contract against their will. The behaviors are characterized by generating a hostile environment, both on the material and social levels, and can range from cutting off gas, electricity or water to causing damage to the home or refusing to make repairs.
family harassment
Harassment behaviors and behaviors that take place within the same family environment.
Causes of psychological harassment
The causes of psychological harassment can be diverse. The most frequent are feelings of jealousy and envy that the harassers feel towards the victim as well as the perception that they have towards the other some distinctive featurebe it race, social class… There are also environmental factors that generate conflicts and that can be the generators of future harassment.
In the specific case of mobbing, which is a very common typology within psychological harassment, the cause is also given by the fact that the victim does not allow himself to be manipulated and tries not to submit to the harassment. When a person does not submit to status quo of the organization can often lead to further psychological harassment. The demonstration of power on the part of the harasser is also a key factor, especially in the workplace.
Consequences of psychological harassment
The psychological consequences derived from this type of harassment can be devastating. A key factor in this type of harassment is low self-esteem, since it can be not only a consequence but one of the reasons why the person does not defend themselves. Among the most common problems derived from psychological harassment we find: anxiety, stress, isolation, mood swings, irritability, addictions, insomnia, depression… Additionally, it can often take time for victims to realize that they are experiencing this type of harassment.
In some cases it is common for the consequences to appear:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder. Stressful behaviors that are repeated for so long that the victim feels alert and not only psychologically but also physically stressed. Here you will find .
- Adaptive disorder. Show greater discomfort than expected in response to a stressful situation and a significant deterioration in social and work activity.
- Generalized anxiety disorder. Excessive worry and anxiety about a wide range of activities for at least six months that causes the individual a constant state of insecurity. Here you can see.
- Mood disorders. Depressive feelings and states, insomnia, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, decreased ability to concentrate…
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Psychological harassment: what it is, types, causes and consequenceswe recommend that you enter our category.
Bibliography
- Ávila, A. & Bernal, V. & Alzate, L. (2016). What are the causes and consequences of workplace harassment or mobbing? Psyconex Electronic Magazine,8(13).
- González, JL (2005). Psychological harassment and its dynamics. The keys to mobbing, EOS Publishing. Retrieved from: https://luisderivera.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2005-EL-ACOSO-PSICOLOGICO-Y-SUS-DINAMICAS.pdf
- Trujillo, MM & Valderrabano, ML & Hernández, R. (2007). Mobbing: history, causes, effects and proposal of a model for Mexican organizations. INNOVATE. Journal of Administrative and Social Sciences,17(29).