Testing the strain hypothesis of the Demand Control Model to explain severe bullying at work

Workplace bullying has often been attributed to work-related stress, and has been linked to the Job Demand Control Model. The current study aims to further these studies by testing the model for bullying in a heterogeneous sample and by using latent class (LC)-analyses to define different demands and control groups and targets of severe bullying. High job demands were associated with a higher probability of being a target of severe bullying, which was particularly true for the very high job demands group. Low job control was also associated with a higher probability of being a target of severe bullying. Moreover, high job control buffered the negative effects of job demands on being a target of severe bullying, particularly when employees reported very little job control and high/very high job demands. Overall, the JDC-Model was supported, suggesting that being a target of severe bullying can be considered as a social behavioural strain.
Keywords: Belgium, job content, psychology, quality of work life