When the bullying flows the other way.
Upward bullying is real, it is damaging, and it barely gets named. This is a space to understand it, talk about it, and know that you are not alone.
“Nobody believes you — because the script runs the wrong way. You have the title, so surely you must be fine.”
What is upward bullying?
We have a well-worn script for workplace bullying: a powerful person targets someone with less power. That script means that when the dynamic runs the other way, people struggle to compute it.
Upward bullying occurs when those with less formal power use persistent, targeted behaviour to destabilise, undermine, isolate, or exhaust someone above them in the hierarchy — whether a manager, leader, trustee, or elected official.
It can happen in any organisation. A voluntary sector board. A public sector team. A political group. A corporate structure. The sector does not protect you. The seniority does not protect you. Sometimes it makes it worse — because you are supposed to just handle it.
The hallmarks
Upward bullying is often subtle, deniable, and slow-building. These are some of the patterns to look for.
Small, persistent, deniable
Constant undermining disguised as questions. Decisions reframed as self-serving. Each incident seems minor. The cumulative effect is not.
Designed to make you doubt yourself
Over time, you begin to question your own judgement, your memory of events, and your right to lead. That is not a coincidence.
The more you say, the less you are believed
Raising concerns often backfires. The very act of speaking up can be reframed as evidence of the problem the bully has constructed around you.
Colleagues kept at a distance
Rumours, misinformation, and drip-fed narratives circulate behind your back, slowly eroding your relationships and support network.
It rarely stops at one target
Bullies rarely change. If you have experienced this, the chances are high that others have too — and others will, unless the pattern is named and interrupted.
Your position is used against you
Seniority does not protect you. It can become a weapon — used to dismiss your experience and question your fitness to lead.
Understanding mobbing
Mobbing is what happens when upward bullying stops being a one-to-one dynamic and becomes a group one. One person’s narrative becomes a chorus. People who were never close to the situation begin to treat you as the villain of a story you were never told was being written.
It can spread through workplaces, sectors, and networks with frightening speed. Social media amplifies it. Professional networks carry it. And it can involve people who genuinely believe they are doing the right thing — because they have only ever heard one side.
Some of those who pile on present themselves publicly as fighters for social justice, allies, and advocates for fairness. The irony is not subtle. But it is real.
Those who stand by and amplify without checking the facts are not bystanders. They are part of the harm. Bullies by proxy are still bullies.
The silence around mobbing causes real damage — to individuals, to organisations, and to the people watching it happen and filing it away as just how things are.
“One person’s lies can become a chorus. And once the chorus starts, it can feel impossible to stop.”
On the experience of mobbing
You are not alone in this.
If any of this sounds familiar — whether you are living it now, recovering from it, or trying to understand what happened — this space is for you. This conversation is for you.
Articles & Resources
Practical articles to help you understand, recognise, and respond to upward bullying — written from experience, not theory.
What upward bullying actually looks like — and why it is so hard to name
The gap between what is happening and what you can articulate to others is one of the most disorienting parts of the experience. This article helps close that gap.
When the pile-on starts: understanding mobbing in professional settings
Mobbing can feel like the ground disappearing beneath you. Understanding the mechanics of how it works is the first step to finding solid ground again.
After the experience: how to rebuild trust in yourself and others
Upward bullying and mobbing leave a mark. This article is about what comes next — and how to move forward without carrying it all with you.
More articles coming soon. If you would like to contribute a piece, share your experience anonymously, or suggest a topic, please get in touch.
Join the conversation
An open, honest discussion for anyone who has lived it, witnessed it, or is trying to understand it. All sectors. All roles. No hierarchy in the room.
Upward Bullying — A conversation that needs to happen.
No agenda. No slides. Just an honest conversation with people who understand why this matters. Chatham House Rules apply — what is said in the room stays in the room.
We would like to hear from you.
Whether you want to share your experience, ask a question, suggest an article topic, or find out more about the work we do — please reach out.
You do not need to share more than you are comfortable with. There is no pressure and no judgement here.
Everything you share with us is treated in strict confidence. Your message goes directly and only to hello@upwardbullying.org.uk. We will never share your details or your story without your explicit permission. You can also contact us anonymously if you prefer — simply leave your name blank.
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Why this website exists
Upward bullying causes real damage. To individuals. To organisations. To the people watching it happen and filing it away as just how things are.
The silence around it is part of the problem. This website exists to break that silence — to name it, describe it, and create a space where people can talk about it honestly and without judgment.
We believe that naming something is the first step to changing it.
About the host
This space was created by someone who knows upward bullying from lived experience — not theory. With a career spanning the voluntary sector, public sector, and local government, the founder brings hard-won insight and a commitment to honest, grounded conversation.
If you have experienced this and want to share your story, or if you have expertise in this area and want to contribute, please get in touch.