Why are women such bullies?

Abstract

The award-winning TV presenter apologises for having bullied staff in her younger days; she now believes women in TV are trying too hard to copy to behaviour of some male executives. She writes: "Alas, the bully I used to be at my worst is duplicated today in production offices all over the country. And too often it's the women who are doing the bullying. In my experience, a lot of the men have learned to treat people better than did their predecessors... at the same time, many 'new women' moved in the opposite direction. Whether it was to compensate for a perceived feminine weakness, or because they were modelling themselves on the worst of the men, or just because there resides in many women the capacity to turn into the Wicked Witch of the West, too many have adopted the hectoring style of The Weakest Link. They take a delight in shooting down ideas rudely and impatiently, humiliating juniors in public and reducing inexperienced or vulnerable members of staff to tears."