Mobbing and Victimization at Work

Mobbing bullying or harassment, a severe form of social stressor at work, has become a topic of widespread public interest in several European countries. Mobbing includes minor social conflicts such as socially isolating a person, rumours, or giving somebody a bad name, but also major conflicts like giving somebody no work, or work below or above his or her qualification, threats to kick somebody out of the firm, or threats of physical violence. Although mobbing is a very old phenomenon, it has not been described and systematically investigated until the early 1980s when Heinz Leymann started the first research projects in Sweden. This special issue brings together scientists and practitioners from various European countries who have done research and possess practical experience in this area. The book begins with an article that introduces the theoretical concept of mobbing. Several articles follow which report empirical findings on mobbing in Austria, Finland, Germany, Norway and Sweden. These articles deal with questions such as: How oftenn does mobbing occur? Can anybody be affected? Who are the mobbers? Are there organizational causes of mobbing? The articles emphasize the severe health consequences which can be observed in nearly every mobbing victim. One article reports two case studies and describes the medical treatment of mobbing victims. Finally, prevention and intervention measures are summarized which were already successfully used in practice.