Those who suffer from bullying in childhood can sadly be set up for dealing with it in later life. Because school bullies are sometimes allowed to behave in ways that threaten the emotional security and physical safety of their victims, both parties come to see this as normal behavior. If the bully is not called on their behavior and required to improve it or if the victim is not supported and provided with some protection, both conditions can show up in the workplace.

It Destroys Self Esteem

Too often, the bullying victim who speaks up only suffers a higher level of brutalization at the hands of their tormentor. If school leaders don't have the staff, the power or the interest to put a stop to bullying, the victims learn to view survival as a success , no matter the emotional damage they experience. This view of the world as a hostile place with no regard for them will continue and can lead to self-abuse, depression, suicidal thoughts or explosive rage.

More Than Physical

It's crucial that bullying victims be protected from aggressors. However, it's also important to try to get to the bottom of bullying behavior. It's important to understand that bullying is more than physical. Ostracizing a classmate while in the school building or cyber-bullying on social media can cause depression and agoraphobia. While schools are stepping up to fight the physical manifestation of bullying, the emotional damage caused by isolation and cyber-bullying can be devastating as a child moves into middle and high school.

It Doesn't End

Bullies who get away with it in school become terrible co-workers and rotten bosses if they're not called on their behavior. Those who've suffered bullying throughout school develop a toolkit of coping mechanisms that may actually serve as bait to those who learned to bully when they were young. Bullying in the workplace can lead to mental disability. If you are suffering a level of bullying on the job that causes you to develop panic attacks or PTSD, your next job may be hard to find or impossible to keep. Worst of all, when you were bullied in school, you could hope to find some relief when you talked to the teacher or someone in authority. Too often in the workplace, the bully is the one in authority.

If you suffered a lifetime of bullying at school and find the same pattern at work, it's time to seek help. A therapist can help you stand up and say, “Enough. That is not appropriate in a professional setting.” You are worthy of being treated with respect.