Life After Bullying

In this chapter, we look at how the champions were dealing with or recovering from their bullying experiences at the time of our final conversations. Some had left their toxic job and were surprised they did not have the sense of relief they expected. Like those considering leaving, they grappled with the sense of loss from the parts of the work they had enjoyed. For some, the bully had been removed from the organisation. Unfortunately, the lack of acknowledgement of the damage caused and the lack of support for those affected left them feeling unable to move forward as they had hoped. Others were still involved in ongoing attempts to seek resolution and felt tired and devastated. Most champions considered themselves changed people and were less trusting of colleagues and managers. Most champions felt unable to forgive the bullies and the system that allowed the bullying to perpetuate.