Mobbing: concept, essence and issues of criminalization

The article is devoted to the analysis of actions related to the psychological (moral)
persecution of an employee, that is, from the so-called mobbing Typically, mobbing may have
the purpose of forming an employee underestimating their own professional skills, which may
result in the actual inability to effectively perform their professional functions and often
subordination of his will to others (adaptation to the situation), or the emergence of mental or
psychosomatic illnesses. Currently, there is no special rule in Ukraine that would regulate the
actions of a mob in order to organize or prosecute. That is why in practice it is necessary to
apply the norms of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which stipulate responsibility for similar
acts of a general nature. For example, if the consequence of mobbing is the suicide of the
victim, if there are other signs of the crime, the responsibility should come under Art. 120 of
the Criminal Code of Ukraine (“Bringing to Suicide”). Without claiming the truth at the last
instance, we can offer two solutions to the situation. One option is to add Section V of the
Special Part to an independent article, the first part of which would criminalize the violation of
the rights of the employee through the application of psychological violence or other elements
of mobbing, if these actions have caused grave consequences or committed by an official, and
the second – if these actions caused especially grave consequences. Another option for solving
the situation is the addition of Art. 67 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine “Circumstances that
impose a punishment” on the point “committing a crime with the systematic psychological
pressure of an employee on the part of the employer or other employees (mobbing)”.