Only a small percentage of individuals come forward to report incidents of workplace bullying and sexual harassment, while the majority of victims are women. Often, these victims are driven to the point of leaving their jobs due to their fear of speaking up against such behavior or because they perceive no tangible outcome from filing complaints. These findings were highlighted by experts during a public discussion on the topic of "Workplace Bullying and Sexual Harassment" which was organized by the Independent Union of Public Servants of Cyprus (ASDYK).

During the discussion, both specialists and officials emphasized the existence of legislative gaps concerning workplace bullying, as well as notable delays in the investigation of sexual harassment allegations. Moreover, there is a concerning lack of psychological support available to individuals who encounter sexual harassment in their workplace.

Georgios Chorattas, President of ASDYK, noted that incidents of workplace bullying and harassment are alarmingly widespread and increasingly garner public attention as society becomes more informed and sensitive to these issues. However, a significant proportion of employees who face offensive and demeaning behavior, unreasonable demands from their superiors, or fall victim to harassment, hesitate to report such incidents due to fears of retaliation, social stigma, or being unjustly blamed for the misconduct directed at them.

In her opening remarks, Louiza Christodoulidou-Zannetou, President of the Committee on Gender Equality in Employment, highlighted that EU member states have progressively introduced provisions addressing workplace bullying in their legislation since 1990. Unfortunately, Cyprus still lacks specific legal safeguards against workplace bullying. She expressed optimism, however, regarding recent discussions on this topic, both within the House of Representatives through dedicated debates and in public forums, signaling a growing awareness of the issue.

According to research conducted both in Cyprus and internationally, it is worth noting that nine out of ten victims of sexual harassment are women, and only a fraction of them choose to come forward and report such incidents.

During his presentation, Dr. Panagiotis Stavrinidis, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Cyprus, shed light on the psychology of workplace bullying and victimization, highlighting its distinctive characteristics compared to other phenomena encountered in work environments. He emphasized that their research, along with others, has consistently revealed an inherent power imbalance in cases of bullying, typically involving a superior exerting power over a subordinate. However, he acknowledged that while this holds true in many instances, their findings also indicate that harassment can occur between colleagues occupying the same hierarchical positions. Nonetheless, a power dynamic always accompanies the perpetrator, who perceives an advantage over the victim.

In her presentation, Gender Expert Dr. Anna Pilavaki emphasized that legislation regarding workplace bullying has not been fully established. However, since January 1, 2003, legislation addressing sexual harassment and equal treatment has been in effect. Dr. Pilavaki shared alarming statistics, indicating that 9 out of 10 victims are women, and on a European scale, approximately 1 in 3 women have reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment.

Dr. Pilavaki underscored the responsibility of employers and stressed the significance of clearly communicating relevant codes of conduct to employees, ensuring that they are aware of the appropriate channels for reporting incidents and enabling every department to understand the necessary actions to take when faced with such complaints. European statistics cited by Dr. Pilavaki reveal that only a mere 8% to 10% of victims actually submit formal complaints.

Legal expert Demosthenes Stefanidis delved into the legal aspects of ethical and psychological harassment, commonly referred to as "mobbing," within the workplace. He emphasized the imperative nature of providing legal solutions to address such cases. Drawing from his experience, he shared instances where women approached his office to report similar incidents at their workplaces. Through the intervention of formal letters directed to various parties, satisfactory resolutions were achieved. Mr. Stefanidis also noted that such behavior is predominantly observed among superiors in hierarchical structures.