What really concerned me about my experience as a victim of bullying was the big wall of silence put up by almost everyone else in that department. There were about 40 people working there in an open plan office and there were some days that I would be lucky to get a hello and a goodbye for the whole day's work. If I tried to talk to anyone about my problem, to try to find out why/how/what etc it was all about they would run a mile.

That quote from Haile Selassie hits the nail on the head for me. And my experiences make me see how it must be/have been for victims of other, larger bullying situations, such as the Holocaust, and the people Amnesty International try to help. Other people turn away, for whatever reason. Some are afraid of being the target, some don't care, some are afraid to face up to what is really happening, some don't like to rock the boat, and some actively encourage and participate in the victimisation. There is a woman in the same department who gets her jollies from making other people feel small and frightened. She and the boss were two of a kind, but she let him do most of the dirty work. But, there are a lot of others in that department who would deny that they participated in it, but standing aside and letting it happen is as much of a crime as doing it yourself.

One woman listened to me, and she is the one who helped me to find out the missing keyword: bullying. She used the word sociopath but an internet search on that word brought me to an incredibly helpful site about bullying, and the whole thing fell into place in an instant. At last, I knew what had really been happening to me, and I could start taking effective action.

Thanks Carol.

Joerg, you can quote as much Pratchett as you like, & in any language - I love his fiction.

Troll, it's probably time for another jokes thread - pick a theme and start it up.

Helen