Why anti-bullying strategies often fail and what needs to change

In 2024, over half a million people in the Netherlands experienced bullying at work. For years, little has changed in the statistics around workplace bullying. That is remarkable. A great deal is happening in this area. Protocols have been developed, confidential advisers appointed, and the issue receives media attention. Yet despite all these efforts, bullying continues. This has everything to do with blind spots that surround the issue. These blind spots contribute to bullying going unrecognised, unaddressed, or being tackled with interventions that may even entrench the bullying further into the workplace culture. What are managers overlooking?

Distorted power dynamics

The biggest misconception about bullying is that it’s viewed too much as a conflict between two individuals -the bully and the victim- when in fact, it signals disturbed power dynamics within a group. Bullies, often supported by bystanders, can act without fear of consequences. Bystanders usually remain silent for fear of becoming the next target, while managers who take no action inadvertently reinforce the bully’s informal power.

Within a group, bullying serves as a warning: it shows others what happens if colleagues don’t conform to informal rules. This fosters a culture of fear and conformity, where differing opinions and behaviours are suppressed. Managers who tolerate bullying or take part in it themselves, reinforce this dynamic and effectively grant permission for future bullying. A key aspect of bullying behaviour is that it often happens in public, with witnesses – this is deliberate. In contrast, other forms of misconduct, such as sexual harassment, tend to occur when no one is watching.

It’s often assumed that bullying is about people not getting along. What is overlooked is that bullying has a purpose: the bully wants to achieve something. Bullying aims to cause harm. It is used to eliminate competitors, silence dissenters, and ensure conformity to informal group norms. It’s a tool to strengthen the bully’s position within the group. It may also aim to maintain the status quo and preserve the influence of informal leaders.

Managers often fail to act

Managers tend not to take bullying seriously enough because it is disguised as ‘joke’ or seen as part of the ‘normal work dynamic’. As a result, persistent bullying is downplayed. This means that victims are not taken seriously, and the bullying continues without consequences.

Another issue is that managers may think they are above the problem, while in fact they may, consciously or not, be contributing to the perpetuation of bullying. This could be through passivity, making ‘edgy jokes’ themselves, or tolerating bullying within their team. Research by the US-based Workplace Bullying Institute (2024) shows that in 55% of cases, the manager is the main perpetrator of the bullying.

Victims often don’t report the bullying. They feel ashamed and fear that making a formal complaint will make things worse. A Dutch study Pesten op het werk (Bullying at work) from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (2015) found that half of managers who are aware of bullying in their teams take no action. Sometimes managers say they can’t do anything because no formal complaint has been made. But this is putting the cart before the horse. Even without a formal report, it is possible to discuss workplace norms and hold people accountable for their behaviour. The role of the confidential adviser is sometimes overemphasised. While they are important, the ultimate responsibility for preventing and addressing bullying lies with managers and the organisation’s leadership.

Why current approaches often don’t work

Popular approaches to tackling bullying such as mediation or transferring the bullied employee, don’t address the root of the problem. Mediation that brings the bully and victim together for a conversation may offer temporary relief but falls short because it doesn’t address the underlying power imbalances at play.

Research from the Workplace Bullying Institute (2024) shows that people who are bullied have a 67% chance of being transferred or losing their job. These outcomes maintain the culture that allows bullying to flourish. They strengthen the bully’s power. Their ‘approach’ is seen as effective, not only in their own eyes, but also by colleagues and bystanders. When the victim leaves the team, another target is often found after a short lull. This perpetuates the cycle, creating a string of new victims.

What can managers do?

Line managers hold the key to addressing bullying at work. By recognising their own blind spots and taking proactive steps, they can help create a safe and healthy workplace culture. A culture where bullying cannot thrive requires a long-term strategy and deep cultural change. This means organisations must go beyond solving acute incidents and focus on building and maintaining a culture based on respect, inclusivity, and accountability.

Rather than removing the victim, attention should focus on dealing with the perpetrator(s) and altering group dynamics. One-off training sessions, conversations, or even mediation don’t resolve structural bullying. What’s needed is a sustained approach that addresses the organisation’s culture at its core.

Effective intervention requires a coordinated mix of actions that break the underlying toxic culture and shift it toward a healthy workplace environment. Crucially, leadership must take a clear stand against bullying, model appropriate behaviour, and visibly commit to a safe working environment. Necessary measures include independent confidential advisers and clear policies that explicitly define bullying and outline the consequences of inappropriate behaviour.

Line managers have a key role: they must be trained to recognise bullying, raise the issue, and intervene constructively. Prompt action, ideally on the same day that bullying is reported, is vital to stop the behaviour from taking root. At the same time, bullies’ power must be actively challenged, for example, through corrective action, separating teams, or relocating the bully if necessary.

Buddy system

Building a healthy workplace culture requires ongoing attention. Managers can work with their teams to establish and reinforce positive values, regularly revisit these values, and make it clear which behaviours are unacceptable. It’s also important to mobilise colleagues and support victims – for example, through a buddy system – so that responsibility doesn’t fall solely on management and bullying becomes easier to discuss.

Regular monitoring of workplace culture, through anonymous surveys, can offer insights and allow timely interventions. The situation becomes more complex when the bully is a (line) manager. Since staff may be reluctant to report such behaviour, it is essential that organisations have clear procedures and frameworks to hold managers accountable, backed by strong support from senior leadership. A lasting solution requires a long-term strategy that doesn’t just focus on immediate problems. Only through sustained commitment at all levels can a healthy culture take root, one where respect, inclusivity, and responsibility are the norm.