When does bullying at work cross the line into violence? Most people, including most people in charge, don't know. When workplaces don't have a bullying and violence-prevention policy, you are on your own.

"If you have a sense of dread … follow your instincts" and recognize chronic tension among workers for what it is: the seedbed of workplace aggression that can grow into violence, said Richard Denenberg '64, the ILR School's 2008 "neutral-in-residence," at an Oct. 27 workshop that he presented with his wife, Tia Denenberg, ILR '67.

The annual weeklong Neutral-in-Residence Program brings conflict resolution practitioners to Cornell to share expertise with students and faculty, inside and outside the classroom.

The Denenbergs are pioneering practitioners of workplace violence prevention. Richard Denenberg, a journalist, is author of "The Violence-Prone Workplace." Tia Denenberg is an arbitrator and mediator. They co-direct Workplace Solutions in the Hudson Valley.

Violence risks in the workplace rise, they said, when warning signs are ignored, conflicts are not resolved early, and victimization goes unacknowledged.

Many workplace tragedies -- from murders to ruined careers -- can be traced, said the Denenbergs, to incidents that managers trivialize as "personality conflicts." Although workers often think it is not their place to intervene in workplace disputes, "it's almost like a civic responsibility" to do so or to find someone who will, said Richard Denenberg.

In addition to physical violence, the Denenbergs said, there are many forms of psychological workplace aggression, bullying included. Emotional abuse of an employee can include intimidation, isolation, humiliation, rumor and sabotage.

Consider, said Richard Denenberg, the bully who every time his or her target enters a meeting, says, "Something smells bad. We'd better open the window." Or the silent bully, who diverts meeting memos, unplugs computers or spreads rumors.

The bully sabotages the victim by painting him as inefficient, incompetent, a poor performer. If a victim is fired, he has little recourse. A case has been built against him, the Denenbergs observed.

Even the thought of confronting a bully can be fraught with fear, shame and embarrassment for the victim, who might also be confused about what constitutes "reportable" bullying. Identifying bullying and nipping incidents in the bud can be part of an overall violence prevention strategy at work, the couple said.

CU offers programs addressing workplace violence
Cornell University Police offer several programs on workplace violence at no cost, including violence in the workplace, personal security and a crime-prevention overview. See http://www.cupolice.cornell.edu/crime_prevention/outreach.cfm.

In addition, online courses are available through SkillSoft:

Working It Out: Handling Disagreements in the Workplace (fee)

Working with Difficult People (no charge)

See http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/careerDev/workshops/index.html for password and registration information.