Debunking the Myth of the Victim Profile

The Personal Weakness Fallacy

There is a widespread and dangerous myth that suggests that victims of workplace bullying are "weak," insecure, conflicted or have poor social skills.

Nothing could be further from statistical reality. Believing that there is a predetermined "victim profile" is a form of re-victimization that shifts blame from the aggressor to the assaulted.

Anyone, regardless of mental strength, experience or hierarchy, can become the target of an attack if environmental circumstances and toxic leadership allow it.

Vulnerability is not an inherent personality trait, but a situational state caused by constant external aggression and lack of institutional support.

High Performance as a Risk Factor

Paradoxically, studies show that the most targeted profiles tend to be high performers.

Brilliant, creative, ethical and hard-working employees are often perceived as "threats" by mediocre bosses or envious colleagues.

Consider a senior analyst who proposes innovative process improvements; an insecure boss might interpret this proactivity not as an asset, but as an attempt to embarrass him or her.

In these cases, harassment is a neutralization tool: the person is attacked not for his or her defects, but precisely for his or her virtues, seeking to dampen his or her brightness so that it does not contrast with the grayness of the environment.

Moments of Temporary Vulnerability

Although there is no such thing as a victim personality, there are vital moments that organizational predators know how to exploit.

Situations such as pregnancy, divorce, family illness, or even being new to the company, place the individual in a position of less temporary resistance.

Harassers, with opportunistic intuition, often intensify their attacks during these periods, knowing that the victim's ability to respond is diminished.

It is crucial to understand that taking advantage of these circumstances is a major ethical aggravating factor and demonstrates the intrinsic cowardice of the bullying dynamic, which always seeks to strike where and when it hurts the most.

Summary

It is false that victims are weak or conflictive people; any individual can be targeted if the environment and toxic leadership allow it.

Paradoxically, high-performing and ethical employees are often targeted because mediocre bosses or envious peers perceive them as threats to their status.

There are moments of temporary vulnerability, such as pregnancy or illness, which bullies opportunistically take advantage of to intensify their attacks when the capacity to respond is lower.