Screeamin' Mimis

Some bullies are characterized as Screamin' Mimis. You get the picture from the name. They shout and scream for no particular reason --or for any reason. They rant and rave about everything you do. It's never right. It's never good enough.

In a small business setting of only 20 people including the two owners, a Screamin' Mimi targeted a young designer. Targeted means he chose her as his verbal punching bag and "beat" on her daily. She began developing the classic symptoms of a target. She feared going to work every morning. Just thinking about it made her heart pound and her chest tighten until she could hardly breathe. She began taking sick days for medical appointments and sometimes just to avoid running into him. After months of this abuse, she finally couldn't take it anymore and got up the nerve to tell him she didn't like the way he treated her. At that moment, the owner walked in, heard the young designer's words, and told her she had to apologize to Mr. Screamin' Mimi. She fled the room in tears, but the owner didn't relent.

Although the bully resigned for personal reasons and left shortly after this incident, the designer searched for a new position and soon joined a different company that does not support a culture of bullying.