I'm not sure when things changed and society decided thatcivility didn't matter.

That it was okay to say what we think and if everyone elsedidn't agree with our perspective, to shout louder and say vilethings about them, their beliefs, their friends and their family.To ridicule them publicly or on social media, and to attack themmercilessly — either physically or verbally.

It's interesting that as a society, we're more attuned to thistype of behavior in children and we're quick to condemnit, but what about adults who are bullies?

Sadly, I've worked for some of them at previous jobs. And just like I stood up to theneighborhood bully when I was 14, I chose to stand up to theseindividuals as well. I've been sworn at, accused of some prettyunspeakable things, and threatened. Some bullies back down if youdon't cower to them, but not everyone has the fortitude to stand upto this type of behavior.

Why bullying matters to insurers

Why does this matter to insurers? For several reasons. First,because your companies and clients should have a written policy andgrievance procedure for handling these types of claims in theworkplace, especially when the person doing the bullying is thesupervisor of the victim.

Second, claims arising from bullying and the duty to defend orpossibly indemnify a client fall under employmentpractices liability for a carrier.

Third, because the courts are starting to take notice and holdschools and employers liable when teachers, students, co-workersand supervisors engage in bullying behavior. In a landmark decisionearlier this year, a coroner's jury found Dairy Queen and theGlasgow County Missouri School District were negligent inpreventing the bullying of a student who took his own life becauseof the treatment he suffered at school from classmates and at workfrom his supervisor.

Recognize the warning signs

For employers, it's important that they also recognize thewarning signs of this type of behavior before it escalates. Achange in a worker's home life such as a divorce or break up,financial challenges, or some type of alcohol or substance abusecan lead to bullying behaviors too. Kathleen Bonczyk's article,“The legal exposures of bullying claims,”examines these issues and what insurers need to know.

Insurance is about mitigating risks, and education plays a majorrole in preventing these threats. We can do our part to educate ouremployees and clients — watching our own words and actions probablywouldn't hurt either.

Patricia L. Harman is the editor-in-chiefof Claims magazine. She can be reached at [email protected]. Opinions expressedare the author's own.