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Workplace Bullying vs. Rudeness
Incivilities and rudeness rarely trigger stress in the people who experience them. Toe picking, knuckle cracking, belching and nostril reaming are all offensive and undignified. However, they reflect only on the socialization of the picker, cracker, belcher and reamer. It's not bullying until the bully does something to the Target. If the bully picks the Target's toes (against her wishes) or picks her nose (without permission) and this offensive behavior hurts her emotionally, it could be bullying. Inadvertent social mistakes not expressly done to affect another person may be cute to talk about, but they do not qualify as bullying according to our criteria.
Chris Pearson, Ph.D. is an "incivilities" researcher, Her survey of workers who admitted they were the targets of rudeness or disrespect revealed that 12% felt compelled to leave their jobs. Whereas, WBI research of bullied Targets found that 70% had to lose or give up their jobs to make the bullying stop.