Learn to identify and label different types of bullies and the tactics they use. That will give you power. You’ll know what you’re up against. You won’t second-guess yourself. You’ll be able to align and focus your energy and action. You’ll get the help you need.
Some ways many people think of bullying are:

Often there are no clear and fixed lines between these types of bullies and bullies often use different tactics. I don’t include sexual bullying as a separate category because that can be done using all the tactics.

Overt bullies act out in public. They’re easier to see and to get evidence against.

Covert bullies are sneaky, manipulative and controlling. They abuse in secret; it’s much harder to get evidence against them.

Some of the techniques overt and covert bullies use:

They get out of control and throw temper tantrums (like children). They’ll have physical or verbal explosions or give the “Loud Silent Treatment.” They get power by anger and rage.

They indulge in personal vendettas and scapegoat victims.

They make harsh judgments or remarks or put-downs. They’re experts in personal criticism and negativity.

They talk down to people. They push sensitive places in order to make other people feel bad.

Their feelings matter; yours don't. They make the rules; you don't. Their reasons make sense; yours don't. They're right; you're wrong.

They’re instigators. They pour gas on the fire, get other people to fight and they create “uproar.” They’re splinters.

They’re control-freaks and turf protectors. They’re always right and righteous.

They’re relentlessly negative, critical, naysayers who are impossible to please. They complain until they get attention.

They tease, taunt and use name calling put-downs. They use people as emotional punching bags.

They make nasty, ugly, vicious, snide jokes or cut you down, followed by “I was just kidding” or “You’re too sensitive” or “I didn’t mean anything bad” or “I was only having a little fun.”

They mock with non-verbal, disrespectful “editorial” comments like eye rolling or snorting.

They form school yard cliques to cut out their targets.
They’re passive-aggressive. They manipulate, triangulate, and stimulate unhappiness and drama.

They spread rumors, gossip, innuendos and lies.

They’re great debaters who never let you win. They’re antagonistic, boundary pushers who do the minimum and undercut authority and systems.

They always blame others. Nothing is ever their fault. They have endless excuses and justifications while showing little-no improvement.

Cyberbullies are hostile and personal. They encourage or organize “mobs” to pile on.

“Professional Victims” – most people overlook this category. Professional victims act fragile and have hurt feelings in order to gain power and control. People walk on egg shells near them. They’re hypersensitive, spoiled brats who cry and blame. They’re hysterical Drama Queens-Kings. They make a big deal over things you think aren’t worth fighting about. They use shame, guilt and anger.

Self-bullies beat themselves up all the time. They feel unworthy and have low self-esteem. They wallow in self-questioning and self-doubt, and stay stuck and insecure. They’re easily manipulated by overt and, especially, by covert bullies. They’re the hardest people to help.

Increasing productivity is relatively easy because you can measure and quantify production, and then respond effectively. But how do you fix poor attitudes, which you can’t quantify?
Actually, it’s not that hard.

A list of poor attitudes typically presented to me by managers and employees includes negativity, insubordination, narcissism, hyper-sensitivity, bullying, abuse of power and lack of responsibility.

How do you clarify attitudes you can’t quantify? The first step is to acknowledge that although you can’t quantify attitudes like “narcissistic control-freak,” you can recognize and document behaviors without resorting to mind reading, moral judgments or personal attacks. Then you can act on your documentation of non-professional versus professional behavior.

Make sure it’s legal. Then everyone from the owner on down is required to subscribe to or sign off on the new code of professional behavior. The code then becomes a significant part of everyone’s evaluations. Be consistent in rewarding the desired behavior and having consequences for actions against your code.

Verbal harassment, bullying and abuse; put-downs, lack of respect and cutting out can destroy confidence and self-esteem. Disparaging and demeaning remarks; ostracism, backed by righteous, sneering, superior judgments can be devastating to children. But they’re no less severe when done by adults to adults.
A Mother’s Day article in the Wall Street Journal by Amy Henry, “What Cards Never Say on Mother’s Day,” complained about the lack of respect that dedicated, full-time mothers often get from other women, “even after four decades of feminism.” The article had some suggestions for dedicated mothers who still struggle to get respect from working women.

While the article was accurate in pointing out the problem, I think it totally missed the solution.
Bullies have used the put-down tactic forever. Remember all that cutting out with nasty, sarcastic comments, especially through junior and senior high school? Girls master this technique and boys wield it effectively also. If you’re not in the “right” group you’re scorned and shunned relentlessly. Even current celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and Taylor Lautner talk about being the targets of this type of bullying in their school days.

Of course putting-down and cutting out rotten. But it’s not only kids who do it. As Amy Harris points out, working mothers often give no respect to women who stay home to be full-time mothers of their children.

Don’t waste time analyzing why people put-down others. That path won’t get you anywhere. Don’t waste time wanting laws to prevent people from putting down others. A legal solution also won’t get you anywhere except in the case of public statements about people in certain protected categories.

The real solution lies in you. When other people don’t respect you, look at the source and the possible consequences. Don’t take it personally, but also don’t let it go by without saying or doing something in return.

So, what can you do? First, you have to be strong in your own judgment of the path you’ve chosen. Being a full-time mother is a wonderful path. Work is necessary, but for most of us raising children is our most important and fulfilling task. I hope your children will grow up wise enough to appreciate your dedicated mothering when they’re adults. Not because you made a great “sacrifice” but because you made a wonderful, life-affirming choice and the children you love could reap the benefits.

Instead of taking other people’s judgments personally, go through the world testing other people to see if they rise enough in your estimation for you to keep them on your island. I hope you find wanting anyone who puts you down for choosing to be a full-time mother. Their choice to put-down mothers shows their lack of good sense. Don’t allow the judgment of people without good sense to be important to your confidence or self-esteem. Don’t let their judgment cause you self-doubt or negative self-talk. And don’t let them stay in your life. Instead, surround yourself with people who champion mothers.

I also said that you shouldn’t let their put-downs pass. Stopping bullies begins when you understand that real-world bullies don’t take your politeness or minimizing or ignoring them as a sign that you’re morally superior or inviting their friendship. Relentless bullies aren’t stopped by minimizing, ignoring, begging, bribing or appeasement. Dedicated bullies take the Golden Rule as a sign that you’re weak and also as an invitation to prey on you more. Doing nothing when you’re the target of relentless bullies is like holding up a sign saying that you’re a victim.

Almost every woman I’ve ever talked to who was taught by a well-meaning mother that she should feel sorry for the inner emptiness, low self-esteem and inner pain of the nasty girls who hurt them that she should ignore and rise above the catty remarks and hatred, now regrets their passivity. They feel keenly their lack of empowerment and bear the scars of their supposedly virtuous martyrdom. They wish that their mothers had trained them to fight back skillfully; verbally or physically.

There are many tactics you might try in response to put-downs; depending on you, them and the situation. Some mothers form their own cliques of supportive mothers. Others write responses on cue-cards and memorize them for delivery at the right moment. Some responses are sarcastic put-downs directed toward the women who don’t appreciate mothers or who aren’t satisfied and even joyous with the opportunity to raise children. Others merely comment on lives wasted at work. Others use pity: “I’m so sorry that you’re the kind of person who’s not fulfilled and doesn’t set a better example for your daughter (or son).”

I want to recognize an important truth that we often overlook. We know that we’re doing the right thing successfully when some people (“jerks) don’t like us and scorn our work and its value. People who put-down full-time mothers fall into that category. Don’t care what they think; don’t desire their respect. Instead, get them off your island and let them know it.

What do you do if the person in the next cubicle constantly gives you the silent treatment, glares, ignores your requests for information, makes belittling comments in meetings, puts you down in public, spreads false gossip about you, takes credit for what you did, accuses you falsely of making mistakes, tries to rally other people to be nasty to you and cuts you down to your manager?
Even worse, what do you do if that’s your boss, and he also yells at you, makes personal and derogatory comments in front of the rest of the team, gives you unreasonable projects or deadlines so you’ll fail, evaluates you dishonestly and harshly, and is relentlessly critical?

I use the term “stealth bullies” for the subtle, sneaky, manipulative, critical, controlling workplace bullies who don’t use physical violence. Most people at work let this behavior fly below their radar. If we recognized and labeled these people as bullies, we’d be energized to resist.

Instead, many people take part of the blame and suffer in isolation. They feel helpless and hopeless.

On an individual level, I think the first key to resisting is to recognize and label the actions as bullying so you’re galvanized to resist. Then find allies and shine a light on it. Think tactically and understand you’re in a war. Because laws won’t help much, you’ll have to find other levers to exert pressure.

I don’t spend much time analyzing why bullies do it. We know the major categories: personal dislikes, using brutality or someone’s back as a stepping stone, and ego stroking (“If I put you down, I’m one up). You could probably reel off a few more. In general, the approach of understanding doesn’t help.

I see hostile workplaces, verbal abuse and emotional intimidation not only in medical, legal and academic environments, but especially in government offices, non-profits and public service. In those areas, people are often afraid of “confrontation” or of making “judgments” (someone is a bully). In those areas, the typical culture thinks that the best way to stop bullying is to educate and rehabilitate bullies instead of simply stopping them first. That’s like telling a battered wife (or husband) to endure the brutality while her husband gets therapy.

The purpose of most workplaces is not to be a therapeutic community for their workers. Set high standards and enforce them at all levels. But if the people at the top won’t dedicate themselves to stopping harassment and bullying, you won’t be able to stop it. That’s like schools in which principals and teachers won’t stop bullying.