Why bullying thrives and bullies are protected

With an empty stomach and looking blankly at the monitor of my laptop, my debts are piling up, and yet I am preparing my résumé, applying for another job, trying to escape the triggers brought by my past bullying experiences in the workplace.

I do not know why in the workplace, psychological abuse is usually overlooked. When you speak up, the subtle bullying that leads to constructive dismissal will get you out of the scene. Worse, the blame will be put on you, pinpointing your insensitivity and lack of professionalism, and when withdrawing and reacting, the smear campaign against you will start—labeling you crazy.

Imagine, everyone wants to survive in life with just a little compensation at their hand. Some of us are trying to survive and work silently; however, not everyone is satisfied with the calmness and passion you put into your work, and they started to sabotage you, while those in positions of power are the onlookers.

I have read an article that you can sue your employer and fellow perpetrators of the mental distress you have experienced. I knew that the education field is relatively small, but going low just to destroy the mental well-being of someone using your connections is not an intellectual act but a symbol of moral decay.

I am hoping that this will be published to give a voice to those professionals who, after being bullied at work, isolate themselves and choose not to speak at all. This is a kind of modern oppression, and if continually perpetuated, we pass it to other generations. I hope that this piece will be a voice for the victims of workplace psychological abuse.

Four years ago, my hands were trembling, and I could not eat at all. I was resigning from my post when they convinced me to stay. Despite being promoted, the trauma has been caused by those who are thirsty for power and tried to silence me. I reported it to my immediate supervisor, but no action was taken. As maintaining power should be the goal, I resigned as soon as I was hired in tertiary education.

Sadly, the basic education that proudly claims to promote a bully-free and safe community among its learners is unable to offer this to its teachers. Politics in the workplace is unavoidable, but at least you should try to be humane, if there is any decency and integrity left within you. Yet, these stories, even when you fought hard to get over the abuse, will always be used against you. It will be a ghost that lingers with you and will be used by another set of bullies, trying to destabilize your emotions again. This made me wonder if kindness truly matters when positions are at stake. The least that you can do to save yourself from further psychological harm is to leave.

The lack of support for the bullied victims who have been exposed to prolonged trauma allows the practice of abuse to perpetuate. The mental health programs initiative is clearly ineffective in identifying where these types of cases are hidden, and blame is always put on the victims. Worse, bullies are now dressed in formal attire, not a particular gangster anymore on the streets, and oftentimes they are educators, managers, or people with positions.

The burden of proof will always be on the victims, who often withdraw and choose to let things go. They are not even supported by the people who once benefited from them, thinking that when they support the victims, they might be in danger. The victims are trying to survive, but then again, the trauma crippled them because bullies will not stop; they are everywhere because the system allows them not to be accountable.

I do not know what comes next for me after this one. As much as I wanted to stay and work here in the Philippines, I cannot suffer the same pain that is continually inflicted on me by my past and present workplaces. Although under Philippine laws, I can legally file a case as I have a diagnosis of depression due to workplace trauma, yet I choose to be kind and to be more understanding. What I cannot accept is being labeled as sensitive when people are intentionally pushing my mental health to the limit. I hope that there will be no one who will suffer any more in silence, just like what I did. May this piece enable you to speak up, or, better yet, consult a legal expert.

Some people would not truly understand the extent of mental damage that someone has done to us. It is insensitive and inhumane to laugh it out and bring back the triggers where someone has almost died because of it. There is no harm in being kind, as the saying goes. But why is it hard for others to do it? Because everyone is after position, money, control, and power over others. It is a clear indication of how corrupt people are, and sadly, these bullies are educated ones, where they supposedly learn that values are highly important compared to their degrees.

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Robinson Valenzona, soon to be unemployed due to workplace trauma, will not finish his Ph.D. degree due to bullying practices across the education field, losing the value of education.