Bullying can be situational, especially when the event is out of character or a response to environmental stressors. Usually, when this happens, the victim is asked to understand the situation or dismiss the incident, which may not be the best advice for all parties involved. For example, while waiting in line at school, a little boy from the third grade suddenly pushed a little girl down and stood on her chest. She could not breathe well as the boy was much more prominent in size, and she began to panic. Bystanders, including teachers and students, ignored the bullying in the crowded hall. Fortunately, a teacher finally intervened, and according to the story, the teacher explained to the little girl that the boy's mother had just passed away, which was an effort to explain the little boy's sudden act of violence. As the little girl remembers, she understood what the teacher was saying and felt empathy for the boy, and the event was dismissed as if it never happened. The little boy moved to another school without anyone acknowledging his grief or coaching him on how to manage his anger. The little girl continued her usual pursuits, and the incident was not remembered until a similar feeling of helplessness occurred when the girl was much older, and the panic attack returned. The bystanders in the crowded hall accommodated the event by raising their absolute threshold of detection to ignore another bullying incident. -Dr. Stewart
An Organizational Approach to Workplace Bullying
