Tools for Battling a Bully:
Weapons to Deal with Harassment

Harassment is bullying at its worst. It requires an immediate, stern response from you.

The most obvious form of harassment is a bully who yells at you in extreme anger, but other types of harassment can be handled with a similarly aggressive response by you.

Responses to an out-of-control screamer

Alternative #1: Yell in same volume as bully: Stop it! Knock it off! Then turn and walk away Alternative #2: Yell in same volume as bully: Wait! Hold on! I don't appreciate your talking to me like that. Alternative #3: Interrupt him (see How to Interrupt a Bully), make a comment, then leave: Let's talk about this, when we can talk. Let me know when you're ready to calmly discuss this. I can see that you're angry, so let's continue this later. Let's get together when you've calmed down. Alternative #4: Interrupt him, then ask a question in order to start a normal conversation. I understand you're angry, but I don't understand why. Start from the beginning. Isn't there a more professional way to handle this? You're obviously very angry. Why? Alternative #5: Interrupt him, then use humor or sarcasm: Do you believe that confident, secure people don't need to yell? Don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel. That's great. Now tell us how you really feel. You're really good at getting angry. Do you practice that at home? You're really good at getting my attention.

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