Interview with Ariane Bilheran on harassment at work
- Ariane Bilheran
- Jul 23, 2012
- 6 min read
July 23, 2012
Interview published in the magazine Le Cercle Psy.
The taboo of harassment in the workplace is gradually beginning to be lifted among the general public. We talk about it, we suffer from it, but without always knowing what it is. When can we really talk about harassment? Does it necessarily include a hierarchical relationship? To what extent is the company responsible?
Answers from Ariane Bilheran, clinical psychologist, doctor in Psychopathology, consultant and author of the book Harcèlement au travail: comprendre, prévenir, agir (Armand Colin, 2010).
How is harassment defined in the workplace?
It is a complex interpersonal mechanism that can be found in different places of life, such as the family, the institution or even the company. Regardless of the place, several criteria are fundamental to determine whether or not it is a situation of harassment.
First criterion: the asymmetrical nature of the relationship. It is then important to distinguish harassment from conflict, in which the relationship between the two protagonists is symmetrical. Harassment is characterized by an asymmetrical relationship between a person, or a group, who abuses their power to destroy another person, or another group. Harassment therefore does not always concern only two individuals, but sometimes entire groups. However, to simplify, in the context of this interview I will only refer to the "harasser" and the "harassed" in the singular.
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