Workplace bullies target less attractive employees

ISLAMABAD: Some workplace bullies will target anyone for any reason and the preliminary research has shown that less attractive employees are more likely to become victims of bullying than others.

Though much of the bullying research has focused on what leads someone to bully others, very little attention has been paid to what characteristics may draw their ire.

A new study examined whether physical attractiveness and personality traits made people more likely to be the target of aggressive or hostile behavior from co-workers, Fox news reported.

"We focused on the victim because the research literature has implicitly assumed that bullying behavior is due to the traits of the bully," study author Dr. Timothy A. Judge, professor of management at the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business, said.

"To reduce bullying, we need to see the whole picture", he said".

Previous studies have shown that attractive people are perceived as both friendlier and more likeable than unattractive people. They are treated better, receive more attention and experience less hostility from others, compared to their homelier colleagues.

Research on personality traits has found that people who are victims of bullying tend to have a more negative disposition - a tendency to be angry, anxious, emotional or irritable.