Stories about bullying in schools are common, and that is what comes to mind when many people think of bullying. However, 35 percent of employees in the U.S. are targeted by a bully at some point in their career, according to the Workplace Bullying Institute.

Stacy Tye-Williams, assistant professor of English at Iowa State, and Kathleen Krone, professor of organizational communication at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, researched bullying in the workplace and heard heartbreaking stories from victims.

Bullying is common for many workers, but it is not as openly discussed in the workplace as it is on the playground.

“It’s a big threat [we face],” Tye-Williams said.

She said victims of workplace bullying are very reluctant to come forward and expose what is happening to them. It may be because they are being bullied by a supervisor or boss. Sometimes they just have a fear of people degrading them for speaking out about it.

Bullying is not something that victims experience one time. It often starts out subtly, and a victim may not realize what is happening for a while.

“Regardless of the different kinds of workplace bullying our participants described, they also emphasized the repetitive nature of the poor treatment and characterized it as a part of their everyday experience,” Krone said.

Bullying can be obvious, or it can be subtle. For example, a boss could withhold information from an employee that they need to do their job or they could continuously give preferred assignments to someone they like better.

In some cases, the bullying is more obvious. Employees can be belittled, degraded or be the victim of constant public criticism, Krone said.

Tye-Williams said that she has heard of employees being told that their supervisors are “God” at the workplace and that employees must do whatever the supervisor says.

Each form of bullying is different, making it difficult for some people to come out and tell others what they are experiencing.

Some victims are hesitant to come forward because they think their peers might see them as unprofessional or not fit for the job, Tye-Williams said.

“It appears that co-workers hesitate to speak up on behalf of a victim due to fear,” Krone said.

Sometimes victims are not believed when they tell their story because it is hard to keep everything straight when bullying is constantly happening.

Because bullying in the workplace is a real problem that needs to be dealt with, there are some changes that could be made to increase awareness and prevent it from happening.

It starts by helping out the current victims. Victims of bullying often just need to be heard.

“I really think we need to get better at listening to each other,” Tye-Williams said.

The more awareness about what is actually going on in the workplace, the more the victims will be believed, Tye-Williams said.

Organizations can also help put an end to this by having a culture and environment that does not tolerate this type of behavior. Where the behavior is accepted, it will continue to happen, Tye-Williams said.

Simply because there is silence about an issue does not mean that it is not a problem in an organization.

While each situation is unique, there are some ways that a victim could start reaching out.

For those who are victims of bullying in the workplace, Tye-Williams advised them to first find support somewhere, whether that be in a friend, family member or counselor. A victim should then get familiar with the organization’s policies regarding harassment. Keeping a journal of evidence is also helpful in trying to keep everything in one place and in order.

“You do not have to suffer in silence,” Tye-Williams said.