Mobbing is characterized by the repetition, over a long period of time, of hostile behavior and unethical conduct carried out by a hierarchical superior or co-worker, against someone’s physic and mental integrity, endangering one’s job or disturbing the work environment. This current investigative study intends to assess the existence, frequency, and intensity of mobbing within the Portuguese nurse population, as well as its impact on their well-being and interpersonal relationships. The study carried out was quantitative, correlational, and cross-sectional. A questionnaire was used as the form to collect data. The questionnaire was sent out to 11 institutions in Portugal which were chosen at random, and it was also made available on a website for whoever wished to respond. The sample was composed of 3,227 nurses from various health institutions in Portugal. From the results obtained it was observed that on average each nurse undergoes 11 aggression conducts in their main place of work. The types of aggression suffered with greater intensity by the victims are communication blockage and being discredited at work. The predominant types of mobbing are the horizontal and the descending type. Nurses suspected the following motivations for those who had perpetrated mobbing against them: envy or jealous, not yielding or having been influenced by blackmail, not being subservient and being innovative, or entrepreneurial in the new work methods or perspectives. Almost half of the victims claim to have had health problems as a result of having suffered mobbing in their workplace.

There is a consensus that students should be involved in interdisciplinary activities that promote a solid education in STEAM subjects from an early age. The outdoor settings of schools present an advantageous context for STEAM education, allowing for a myriad of learning experiences. To understand how teachers perceive the pedagogical use of the school’s outdoor space, a study was carried out in a cluster of schools in a Portuguese city, including one middle school and 10 kindergarten and elementary schools. A mixed methods approach was used, combining a questionnaire for teachers (N = 49) with interviews (N = 8). The results indicate that teachers’ perceptions of the characteristics of their school’s outdoor spaces either facilitate or hinder the implementation of outdoor pedagogical activities. Most teachers concur that the outdoors provides contact with nature and encourages interdisciplinary and collaborative activities. However, the teachers surveyed admit to using the school’s outdoor spaces only occasionally, and this use decreases as the educational level at which they teach increases. The most common use of outdoor spaces is for physical and motor activities, promoting the well-being of children and youth. Although interdisciplinary activities in outdoor spaces are recognised, their implementation is limited and hampered by factors such as the length of curricula and the lack of training for teachers in these approaches. In this sense, there is an urgent need to train teachers in the interdisciplinary use of outdoor spaces to promote a solid education in STEAM subjects.

Purpose. As regards nursing professionals, workplace bullying is characterized by a set of repeated and banalized negative behaviors carried out by the aggressors that have more power than victims. Such behaviors adversely affect both the victims and the healthcare institutions where the events occur. Upon repeated exposure to workplace bullying, the victims use coping strategies to modify their work environment and adapt to the aggressor, as they try to reduce the discomfort caused by the bullying behavior. The present work aims to describe the psychometric characteristics of the NAQ-R (Negative Act Questionnaire-Revised) and COPE (COPE Inventory) assessment instruments. In addition, it aims to assess the coping strategies employed by nurses who were victims of workplace bullying. Methods. This study is quantitative, descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional in nature. Data were collected through a digital survey which consisted of sociodemographic and professional components. The NAQ-R and COPE scales were used to evaluate these components. The study included a total of 2015 Portuguese nurses in the sample. Results. Talking to coworkers and confronting the aggressors were the main strategies adopted by nurses who experienced bullying behaviors at work. Also, based on the first and third evaluation criteria, nurses who faced workplace bullying presented a higher average value of support seeking and substance use and resorted more to evasion when compared to those who had not been bullied. Based on the second assessment criterion, nurses who endured workplace bullying resorted more to evasion and substance use and exhibited less acceptance. Conclusions. When confronted with workplace bullying, nurses predominantly chose negative coping strategies and, in their majority, nurses had not received training on that topic. In this regard, nurses training is considered important, so as to encourage the use of positive coping strategies that minimize the negative effects of the phenomenon.

Enquadramento: O assédio no trabalho é caracterizado pela repetição prolongada de condutas de agressão, efetuadas por um ou mais trabalhadores. Objetivos: Avaliar a prevalência de assédio no trabalho, as causas e o impacto no bem-estar físico, mental, emocional e desempenho dos enfermeiros. Metodologia: Estudo quantitativo, descritivo e correlacional com questionário online divulgado na newsletter da Ordem dos Enfermeiros. Utilizou-se a escala NAQ-R (Negative Act Questionnaire Revised) e obteve-se uma amostra de 2015 enfermeiros de instituições de saúde portuguesas. Resultados: A prevalência de assédio no trabalho mediante os 3 critérios de avaliação foi de 46,40%, 28,88% e 22,53% subsequentemente. As principais causas de assédio identificadas foram: não ceder nem se deixar influenciar por chantagem ou servilismo e o solidarizar-se com os colegas de trabalho e o não ignorar a injustiça. O desempenho laboral de 73,33%, dos enfermeiros que percecionaram ser vítimas, foi comprometido. Conclusão: O assédio afeta saúde física e mental de trabalhadores e organizações laborais, levando a absentismo, desempenho diminuído, relações deterioradas, perda de interesse e motivação.

Workplace bullying can be defined as the repeated occurrence of aggressive behaviour by one or more persons in a position of power towards the victim. This phenomenon remains insufficiently researched among education professionals, especially between different levels of education. With this in mind, the present study aims to assess and characterise this phenomenon in the Portuguese teacher population, as well as its consequences. A digital questionnaire was used for the study, which includes a socio-demographic component and two scales, namely the LIPT-60 scale and the WBMMS scale. The questionnaire was published online and made accessible to all teachers employed in schools in Portugal. The final sample consisted of 2003 teachers. The obtained results revealed that 22.5% of the sample acknowledged experiencing workplace bullying. The most prevalent aggressive behaviours included communication blockage and defamation and disregard for work. Vertical descent emerged as the most common form of bullying. More than half of the victims reported experiencing health issues, with a quarter of them requiring a medical certificate. Finally, we would like to emphasize the significance of this study as an initial step towards the prevention and reduction of workplace bullying among Portuguese teachers.

Burnout is a growing concern in the teaching profession, reflecting the inability to cope with persistent workplace stress and posing serious risks to teachers’ well-being and the sustainability of educational systems. It is characterised by diminished personal accomplishment, lack of fulfilment, and reduced productivity at work, usually expressed in three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and professional accomplishment. This study evaluated the relationship between burnout and workplace bullying among teachers in Portugal. Data were collected through an online questionnaire including sociodemographic information, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the Leymann Inventory of Psychological Terrorization scale (LIPT-60), with a final sample of 2003 teachers from preschool to higher education. Both instruments demonstrated excellent validity and reliability (KMO > 0.90; Cronbach’s α > 0.87). Most teachers presented a low risk of burnout (61.2%), while 36.9% were at moderate risk, with emotional exhaustion emerging as the most critical dimension (37.8% high levels). Statistically significant differences in burnout were found by gender, marital status, contractual relationship, working hours, and family separation. Workplace bullying correlated significantly with all burnout dimensions, with victims reporting higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation and lower professional accomplishment. These findings highlight the need for institutional strategies to reduce bullying and prevent teacher burnout, thereby promoting sustainable education systems.