The conditions of working life are changing fast and continuously and workplace competition increases depending on economic, demographic and social changes. The interactions of the subject in the workplace become difficult and lead to newly occurring safety and health risks arise. Mobbing (psychological intimidation) is not currently discussed due to several reasons although it is a very common issue in working life.
The definition of mobbing involves a process in which employee or the employer harasses the other person or persons by disturbing and immoral speech or behaviors systematically in a manner of psychological violence. Mobbing is a malevolent behavior model in order to create job unsatisfaction and leaving the workplace by unfair blame, implication, sarcasm, discrediting reputation by committing malicious gossip, humiliation, emotional exploitation and harassment. Mobbing is a workplace complication since establishment of the oldest working environment even though it is newly introduced concept in the literature. The intense and destructive effects of the psychological intimidation lead to emotional, physical and economic damages in the mobbing victims. Contrarily to the developed countries, both academic environment and either labor and occupational organizations are not interested in this issue efficiently. This review will evaluate mobbing in details such as history, causes, components, judicial characteristics and methods for prevention.
Keywords: Mobbing, intimidation, psychological harassment