With 30% of Americans experiencing abuse in the workplace[i], this issue is clearly an epidemic in our society. One so pervasive, in fact, that even some organizations whose mission is to eliminate abuse have been committing these same harms behind closed doors. In a 2023 assessment completed by the We Deserve Better Project, anti-violence advocates across the nation highlighted ways in which their leadership replicated and enabled the same abusive dynamics their organizations sought out to prevent[ii]. When even individuals working at anti-violence agencies are using abuse to maintain power and control, one must wonder what is truly going on. In a society where the pursuit of dominance over others permeates every system and aspect of life, including the interpersonal, issues like intimate partner violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and bullying all run rampant. So, while uncovering these dynamics within the walls of these agencies is shocking… maybe it shouldn’t be? Perhaps in a country birthed from colonization and genocide, built upon slavery and oppression, a better question might be, without creating new systems, how can we expect anything different?
[i] 2021 WBI U.S. workplace bullying survey. Workplace Bullying Institute. (2024, May 3). https://workplacebullying.org/2021-wbi-survey/
[ii] Assessment Key Findings. We Deserve Better Project. (2023). https://www.wedeservebetter.work/key-findings/
As with all forms of interpersonal abuse, we know that workplace bullying is rooted in oppression and data confirms that employees on the margins experience abuse at higher rates[i]. However, the ways in which oppression, anti-blackness, and white supremacy culture have permeated the anti-violence movement is not a new discussion. In the 2020 Moment of Truth letter, many of the coalitions nationwide acknowledged the ways in which the movement had failed BIPOC survivors and communities, and committed to doing better. Like that moment, this is not a time for shame or denial, but for reflection on the impact of what has taken place and the opportunity for change that lay ahead.
Impact of Workplace Abuse
The fact that workplace bullying is correlated with secondary traumatic stress (STS) and burnout[ii]can’t be ignored for anti-violence workers whose jobs put them at risk of these issues even in the most positive working environments. Beyond this, it’s not just the direct targets of bullying that are exposed to the threat, even witnessing abuse resulted in equivalent severity of emotional injuries for an additional 19% of people in the Workplace Bullying Institute national survey[iii]. Adding that to the 30% who are victimized, nearly half of the workforce is negatively impacted by the experience of bullying.
Research also indicates an even higher prevalence of bullying in high stress organizations like human services[iv] and in those serving the greater good[v]. So while anti-violence agencies are investing heavily into much-needed wellness programs to mitigate the impact of STS, there will always be a hole in the bucket of self-care for workers in toxic and abusive environments.
Beyond the impact on the individual being abused, workplace bullying can lead to low productivity, employee turnover, and a limited talent pool[vi]. When considering that the targets of workplace abuse are often top performers[vii], in a small field like anti-violence with fewer talented recruits to begin with, the loss is even greater. The clients served can also feel the trickle-down effects and experience compromised services as a result.[viii] Ultimately, there is an ethical responsibility to the communities being served, to each other, and to the mission-at-large to eradicate the oppression and abuse within the movement.
Reframing Challenge as an Opportunity to Champion Change
It never feels good to hear that someone in your own system is causing harm or being harmed. But this is where the mission has found itself. And the only way out is through. There is also no system better equipped to identify, assess, and respond to abuse.
In a blog post on embracing disruption, Paul Law declares, “to change the world, you must first change the organisation from the inside.” He adds that starting small gives you the opportunity to test out possibilities and show evidence of positive outcomes[ix] Perhaps eradicating abuse and oppression from within anti-violence organizations can serve as the test for solutions that can later be implemented on a much larger scale.
With no existing law against workplace abuse, anti-violence programs have an opportunity to champion a new way forward. These agencies can clean up their own backyard using whatever method they dream up, piloting solutions they’d like to see implemented in their communities. Accountability without reliance on carceral systems, restorative justice practices, centering the voices of survivors, BIPOC leaders, and the most marginalized, divestment from capitalist and hierarchical systems, and/or any other solutions rooted in collective liberation that may emerge.
Acknowledging you’ve caused harm can be a challenging moment. But the sky is the limit for agencies and leadership brave enough to admit they have an issue with workplace bullying and dedicated enough to commit to transforming their organizational cultures.
[i] The discriminatory nature of workplace psychological abuse. End Workplace Abuse. (2024, May 19). https://endworkplaceabuse.com/2024/05/12/the-discriminatory-nature-of-workplace-psychological-abuse/
[ii] Berglund, D., Toropova, A., & Björklund, C. (2024). Workplace bullying, stress, burnout, and the role of perceived social support: findings from a Swedish national prevalence study in higher education. European Journal of Higher Education, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2023.2301588
[iii] 2021 WBI U.S. workplace bullying survey. Workplace Bullying Institute. (2024, May 3). https://workplacebullying.org/2021-wbi-survey/
[iv] Getz, L. (2013). Workplace Bullying in Social Services–Client Care at Risk. Social Work Today. https://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/111113p26.shtml
[v] About end workplace abuse. End Workplace Abuse. (2024a, September 10). https://endworkplaceabuse.com/about/#:~:text=Advocacy%20has%20helped%20both %20of,the%20workplace%20anti%2Dbullying%20space.
[vi] Praslova, L. N., Carucci, R., & Stokes, C. (2023, January 3). How bullying manifests at work – and how to stop it. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/11/how-bullying-manifests-at-work-and-how-to-stop-it
[vii] Praslova, Carucci, & Stokes (2023).
[viii] Getz, L. (2013).
[ix] Law, P. (2022). Disruption doesn’t need to be disruptive. Pitney Bowes. https://www.pitneybowes.com/uk/content-hub.html