Mobben vs. schikanieren
While both mobben and schikanieren can be translated as "to bully" or "to harass", they are not interchangeable. The core difference lies in the systematic nature, duration, and social context of the harassment. Mobben describes a sustained campaign of psychological abuse, usually by a group, while schikanieren often refers to individual acts of petty torment, frequently involving an abuse of power.
Mobben
B1This term refers to systematic, long-term psychological bullying, typically carried out by a group against an individual. The intention is to socially isolate, demoralize, and emotionally harm the victim, often with the goal of forcing them out of a specific environment like a school or workplace. It is a sustained campaign, not a single incident.
Seine Kollegen mobben ihn, indem sie Gerüchte verbreiten und ihn von wichtigen Besprechungen ausschließen.
(His colleagues are bullying him by spreading rumors and excluding him from important meetings.)
Sie wurde in der Schule so schlimm gemobbt, dass ihre Eltern sie auf eine andere Schule schickten.
(She was bullied so badly at school that her parents sent her to a different school.)
Cyber-Mobbing ist ein ernsthaftes Problem, bei dem Opfer online systematisch angegriffen werden.
(Cyberbullying is a serious problem where victims are systematically attacked online.)
Er fühlte sich von seiner Vorgesetzten gemobbt, da sie ihm monatelang nur unerfüllbare Aufgaben gab.
(He felt bullied by his supervisor because she only gave him impossible tasks for months.)
Schikanieren
B2This word describes tormenting or vexing someone through mean-spirited, arbitrary, and often petty actions. It frequently implies an abuse of a power imbalance (e.g., officer over a recruit, teacher over a student) and can describe both repeated behavior and single incidents. The focus is on making someone's life difficult through annoying and unfair treatment.
Der Feldwebel schikanierte die neuen Rekruten mit sinnlosen Übungen mitten in der Nacht.
(The sergeant harassed the new recruits with pointless drills in the middle of the night.)
Hör auf, deine kleine Schwester zu schikanieren und gib ihr das Spielzeug zurück!
(Stop tormenting your little sister and give her toy back!)
Der Lehrer schikanierte den Schüler, indem er ihn ständig mit Fragen aufrief, die er nicht beantworten konnte.
(The teacher picked on the student by constantly calling on him with questions he couldn't answer.)
Die Beamtin schien Freude daran zu haben, mich zu schikanieren und wegen jeder Kleinigkeit zurückzuschicken.
(The official seemed to enjoy harassing me, sending me back for every little thing.)
Summary
In essence, the key distinction is: Mobben is strategic, long-term psychological warfare, usually by a group, with the aim of social destruction (e.g., at work or school). Schikanieren is often tactical, short-term or repeated petty torment, frequently by an individual abusing their power to make someone's life difficult. An act of Schikane (harassment) can be part of a Mobbing campaign, but not every act of schikanieren constitutes Mobbing.