Editorial
Not All Bullies, Yell and Scream: The Impact of Subtle Bullying in the Health Professions
International journal of mental health nursing, Vol.34(6), pp.1-3
12/2025
Appears in Recent Faculty of Health Publications
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Abstract
What comes to mind when you think about bullying? Is it the schoolyard bully type, or perhaps an adult who yells and screams, hurls insults and is violent? Namie and Namie (2009), in their book, The Bully at Work, describe Screaming Mimis. These bullies stamp their authority through blatant and public criticism. Their goal is to strike fear, because scared people are easier to manage. Their actions send a powerful message to others, ‘this could be you’. Screaming Mimis are obvious; victims know they are being bullied.
Subtle tactics are more difficult to identify. This is why it took me, like many others, a long time to realise that what was happening to me was workplace bullying. It was time to prepare for retirement for the sake of my physical and mental health. The realisation that I was bullied many times during my career, prompted me to write a book, to share my experiences and those of other health professionals, the idea being to help people recognise more subtle forms of bullying, and understand they are not alone. Sickness in Health: Bullying and Nursing and Other Health Professions (Happell 2024) enabled me to tell my story along with stories of 12 health professionals, whom I refer to as champions.
Details
- Title
- Not All Bullies, Yell and Scream: The Impact of Subtle Bullying in the Health Professions
- Creators
- Brenda Happell - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- International journal of mental health nursing, Vol.34(6), pp.1-3
- Publisher
- Wiley; Australia
- Number of pages
- 3
- Identifiers
- 991013328721702368
- Copyright
- © 2025 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
- Academic Unit
- Nursing; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Editorial