"It is possible to destroy someone just with words, looks, and innuendos: this is called perverse violence or moral harassment." These words are taken from Le harcelement moral, la violence perverse au quotidien, the 1998 book on moral harassment by psychiatrist Marie-France Hirigoyen, which really launched the public debate on this phenomenon in France. 1 While this book dealt with various forms of moral harassment in life, the chapter on the work environment particularly attracted the public's attention, especially as the author described and publicized a long-standing phenomenon affecting large numbers of workers in France.

The author defined moral harassment in the workplace as "any abusive conduct, in particular behavior, words, actions, gestures, or texts capable of violating the personality, dignity, or physical or psychological integrity of a person, jeopardizing their employment, or deteriorating the working environment." 2 Harassment may involve a manager and subordinate, or workers on the same level. However, the term "moral harassment" must be applied very carefully to avoid the risk of confusing this phenomenon with normal work-related stress 3 or attempts to destabilize management...."

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