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Workplace bullying: How do bystanders’ emotions and the type of bullying influence their willingness to help?

Workplace bullying: How do bystanders’ emotions and the type of bullying influence their... AbstractThe present study asks, how do various bullying acts, re-victimization, and the victim’s own behaviors influence witnesses’ judgments of the bullying and their inclination to help the victim? Using vignettes, we examined participants’ reactions to stories. The independent variables were type of bullying act, victim’s pro- or anti-social behaviors at work, and re-victimization. The dependent variables were equity judgments, positive and negative emotions toward the victim and the perpetrator, and the giving of help. Eight vignettes of bullying at work were submitted to 145 participants. The results showed that the situation was judged less equitable by witnesses, and their willingness to give support to the target was increased (1) when the perpetrator’s acts were serious and, (2) when the bullied victim’s behavior was pro-social, not anti-social. Female employees found the situation more unfair and declared more intentions to help than their male colleagues. The intention to help increased when the victim had shown pro-social behaviors and when the victim had been bullied previously. Emotions toward the victim were mainly positive, and emotions toward the perpetrator mainly negative except in the case where the harassed victim had shown anti-social behavior. The more serious the bullying acts, the more the witness felt sympathy and empathic emotions such as fear and sadness toward the victim, while feeling anger and disgust toward the perpetrator. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Nordic Psychology Taylor & Francis

Workplace bullying: How do bystanders’ emotions and the type of bullying influence their willingness to help?

Workplace bullying: How do bystanders’ emotions and the type of bullying influence their willingness to help?

Nordic Psychology , Volume 70 (4): 19 – Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

AbstractThe present study asks, how do various bullying acts, re-victimization, and the victim’s own behaviors influence witnesses’ judgments of the bullying and their inclination to help the victim? Using vignettes, we examined participants’ reactions to stories. The independent variables were type of bullying act, victim’s pro- or anti-social behaviors at work, and re-victimization. The dependent variables were equity judgments, positive and negative emotions toward the victim and the perpetrator, and the giving of help. Eight vignettes of bullying at work were submitted to 145 participants. The results showed that the situation was judged less equitable by witnesses, and their willingness to give support to the target was increased (1) when the perpetrator’s acts were serious and, (2) when the bullied victim’s behavior was pro-social, not anti-social. Female employees found the situation more unfair and declared more intentions to help than their male colleagues. The intention to help increased when the victim had shown pro-social behaviors and when the victim had been bullied previously. Emotions toward the victim were mainly positive, and emotions toward the perpetrator mainly negative except in the case where the harassed victim had shown anti-social behavior. The more serious the bullying acts, the more the witness felt sympathy and empathic emotions such as fear and sadness toward the victim, while feeling anger and disgust toward the perpetrator.

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References (64)

Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
© 2018 The Editors of Nordic Psychology
ISSN
1904-0016
eISSN
1901-2276
DOI
10.1080/19012276.2018.1430610
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

AbstractThe present study asks, how do various bullying acts, re-victimization, and the victim’s own behaviors influence witnesses’ judgments of the bullying and their inclination to help the victim? Using vignettes, we examined participants’ reactions to stories. The independent variables were type of bullying act, victim’s pro- or anti-social behaviors at work, and re-victimization. The dependent variables were equity judgments, positive and negative emotions toward the victim and the perpetrator, and the giving of help. Eight vignettes of bullying at work were submitted to 145 participants. The results showed that the situation was judged less equitable by witnesses, and their willingness to give support to the target was increased (1) when the perpetrator’s acts were serious and, (2) when the bullied victim’s behavior was pro-social, not anti-social. Female employees found the situation more unfair and declared more intentions to help than their male colleagues. The intention to help increased when the victim had shown pro-social behaviors and when the victim had been bullied previously. Emotions toward the victim were mainly positive, and emotions toward the perpetrator mainly negative except in the case where the harassed victim had shown anti-social behavior. The more serious the bullying acts, the more the witness felt sympathy and empathic emotions such as fear and sadness toward the victim, while feeling anger and disgust toward the perpetrator.

Journal

Nordic PsychologyTaylor & Francis

Published: Oct 2, 2018

Keywords: bullying; fairness; emotions; help giving; re-victimization; anti-social/pro-social behaviors

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