When someone mentions bullying, most of us are likely to immediately think in terms of childhood and school.

This swift association may be due to the strong campaigns conducted over the past years that were aimed at raising awareness about this type of abuse and the dreadful consequences it may have.

However, bullying does not end with the children in the school playground. What happens in the world of youngsters in school is also sometimes emulated by adults in their working environment.

Today, children and adolescents know that they have rights and they know where they can turn to for support if they are being bullied. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for adults.

We rarely hear about victims of bullying at the workplace. This does not mean they do not exist. Many are reluctant to talk about what they are going through for fear of losing their jobs or because they think they might be ridiculed.

I feel there is little to no awareness on workplace bullying among the Maltese. This may be due to the fact that many of us do not consider bullying in this environment as a crime.

Although our country, like many others in Europe, has laws that address workplace abuse or discrimination, there is no specific mention of bullying.

Maltese laws lay particular emphasis on harassment or sexual harassment and discrimination based on sex, race or religion. However, this should not exclude other forms of bullying, which might not be directly associated with these factors.

Victims of workplace bullying should no longer be left to stand alone

It is not easy for a worker being bullied to come forward, perhaps because s/he might not know where to turn.

Many people are discouraged by the cost and hassle of entering into court proceedings alone and might end up giving in to the bully or simply quitting their work. Very few cases end up in court.

So what can a victim of workplace bullying do? How should one go about resolving the issue that is probably having very negative effects not only on one’s professional life but on one’s private life as well?

There is no simple manual, unfortunately, but I would suggest starting with the obvious: confronting the bully and explaining the consequences of his or her actions. If this does not work, one should seek the help of colleagues, ideally also speaking to the manager in charge of human resources. If the situation still does not improve, the victim can then seek legal assistance, either through a trade union or by means of a private lawyer.

It is important for the victim to understand what constitutes bullying, what his rights are and how he can proceed.

During the course of events one should also speak to one’s family doctor, who might refer the person to a psychologist in order to help one deal with the stress of the situation.

I believe that workers’ unions play an important role in guiding and aiding victims of bullying, however, they should not be alone in offering this support.

As a country, we should seriously consider the establishment of national structures that inform workers of their rights in such situations, whether their particular case constitutes a breach of law, what they can do to solve the problem, mediate with the workplace management and, finally, be empowered to proceed legally.

Victims of bullying at the workplace should no longer be left to stand alone.

Etienne Grech is a Labour MP.