Additionally, bully bonding is self-reinforcing. The more the group bonds over shared aggression, the more they dehumanize the target. The more they dehumanize the target, the easier it becomes to justify further cruelty. This is the same psychological mechanism seen in hate groups, cults, and even genocidal regimes—scaled down to everyday social settings.
We often think of bullying as a simple dynamic: a powerful aggressor and a vulnerable victim. But in many real-world settings—schools, workplaces, military units, and even online communities—bullying is a group activity. This phenomenon is known as . It refers to the social and psychological process through which individuals unite and strengthen their relationships by collectively targeting, humiliating, or excluding another person.
In professional settings, bully bonding operates through different mechanisms but with equally corrosive effects. Workplace bullying thrives in environments where bullies believe they will get away with it. Leadership that turns a blind eye—or worse, rewards aggressive performance at the expense of collaboration—effectively sanctions bully bonding dynamics. Research on organizational culture shows that bullying mediates the relationship between culture and employee commitment, meaning that toxic cultures produce bullying, and bullying in turn reduces the very organizational bonds that could otherwise protect employees. bully bonding
Constant intimidation keeps the victim in a perpetual state of "fight or flight." Over time, the body becomes habituated to high levels of adrenaline and cortisol. The absence of this conflict can feel boring or empty, driving the victim back to the toxic dynamic just to feel a surge of neurochemicals.
In adult professional settings, bully bonding takes a more subtle but equally damaging form. A new employee may be excluded from lunch invites. A small group of coworkers starts a private Slack channel dedicated to mocking a colleague’s presentation style. The ringleader shares a “harmless” joke at someone’s expense, and others laugh along to avoid becoming the next target. This is bully bonding masquerading as office culture. Additionally, bully bonding is self-reinforcing
: Perpetrators often use manipulation and psychological tactics to make the victim doubt their own reality. This confusion makes the victim more dependent on the bully for emotional cues and validation. Signs of a Bully-Bonded Relationship
The classic adolescent “popular group” often maintains its hierarchy through bully bonding. New members are initiated by joining in on ridicule of a less popular student. Compliments are given only when delivered as backhanded digs about someone else. The shared laughter over a cruel group text message cements who is “in” and who is “out.” This is the same psychological mechanism seen in
Two coworkers who barely speak become “best friends” after repeatedly mocking a third coworker’s clothing or mistakes.
This manifests through coordinated exclusion from meetings, public undermining of ideas, shared glances during presentations, and secretive Slack or email threads dedicated to mocking the target.
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