Bullying in academia
Encyclopedia
Bullying in academia is workplace bullying
of scholars and staff in academia
, especially places of higher education
such as college
s and universities. It is believed to be common, although has not received as much attention from researchers as bullying in some other contexts.
Various bullying permutations are possible, such as:
, most of whom have not received the management training that could enable an effective response to such situations. The perpetrators may possess tenure
— a high-status and protected position — or the victims may belong to the increasing number of adjunct professors, who are often part-time employees. Academic victims of bullying may also be particularly conflict-averse.
The generally decentralized nature of academic institutions can make it difficult for victims to seek recourse, and appeals to outside authority have been described as "the kiss of death." Therefore, academics who are subject to bullying in workplace are often cautious about notifying problems. Social media
is recently used to reveal bullying in academia anonymously.
' study of mobbing
in academia found that vulnerability
was increased by personal differences such as being a foreigner or of a different sex; by working in a post-modern field such as music or literature; financial pressure; or having an aggressive superior. Other factors included envy
, heresy
and campus politics.
The long term effects of bullying are detrimental. Those who suffer from such demoralizing behaviour resort to a variety of coping mechanisms and strategies to alleviate the bullied life they lead. Many adults tell their children the solution is to walk away or tell an adult but it is not always that easy. They suffer self-esteem issues which result in anorexia, bulimia, self mutilation, and even suicide. Another way they get back is by attacking the bully with an argument or physical altercation. They also handle it by bullying someone else which creates a never ending downward spiral. The article Examining Student Responses to Frequent Bullying : A Latent Class Approach states “Several studies have documented that being the victim of frequent peer victimization is associated with adverse short- and long-term effects on both social–emotional problems and academic achievement." With all of these problems that our students are suffering a step needs to be made toward putting an end toward bullying.
's University and College Union
released the results of a survey taken among its 9,700 members. 51% of respondents said they had never been bullied, 16.7% that they had occasionally experienced it, and 6.7% that they were "always" or "often" subjected to bullying. The results varied by member institutions, with respondents from the University of East London
reporting the highest incidence.
The Times Higher Education commissioned a survey in 2005 and received 843 responses. Over 40% reported they had been bullied, with 33% reporting "unwanted physical contact" and 10% reporting physical violence; about 75% reported they were aware that co-workers had been bullied. The incidence rate found in this survey was higher than that usually found via internal polling (12 to 24 percent).
Author C. K. Gunsalus describes the problem as "low incidence, high severity," analagous to research misconduct. She identifies the aggressors' misuse of the concepts of academic freedom
and collegiality
as a commonly used strategy.
Academic papers
Workplace bullying
Workplace bullying, like childhood bullying, is the tendency of individuals or groups to use persistent aggressive or unreasonable behaviour against a co-worker or subordinate. Workplace bullying can include such tactics as verbal, nonverbal, psychological, physical abuse and humiliation...
of scholars and staff in academia
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
, especially places of higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
such as college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s and universities. It is believed to be common, although has not received as much attention from researchers as bullying in some other contexts.
Various bullying permutations are possible, such as:
- principalPrincipal (academia)The Principal is the chief executive and the chief academic officer of a university or college in certain parts of the Commonwealth.-Canada:...
bullying lecturerLecturerLecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach... - lecturer bullying lecturer
- studentStudentA student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
bullying lecturer - lecturer bullying student
- student bullying another student.
Bullying and academic culture
Several aspects of academia lend themselves to the practice and discourage its reporting and mitigation. Its leadership is usually drawn from the ranks of facultyFaculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
, most of whom have not received the management training that could enable an effective response to such situations. The perpetrators may possess tenure
Tenure
Tenure commonly refers to life tenure in a job and specifically to a senior academic's contractual right not to have his or her position terminated without just cause.-19th century:...
— a high-status and protected position — or the victims may belong to the increasing number of adjunct professors, who are often part-time employees. Academic victims of bullying may also be particularly conflict-averse.
The generally decentralized nature of academic institutions can make it difficult for victims to seek recourse, and appeals to outside authority have been described as "the kiss of death." Therefore, academics who are subject to bullying in workplace are often cautious about notifying problems. Social media
Social media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
is recently used to reveal bullying in academia anonymously.
Mobbing
Kenneth WesthuesKenneth Westhues
Kenneth Westhues is a professor of sociology at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. In particular, he has researched the phenomena of mobbing as human bullying behaviour...
' study of mobbing
Mobbing
Mobbing in the context of human beings either means bullying of an individual by a group in any context. Identified as emotional abuse in the workplace, such as "ganging up" by co-workers, subordinates or superiors, to force someone out of the workplace through rumor, innuendo, intimidation,...
in academia found that vulnerability
Vulnerability
Vulnerability refer to the susceptibility of a person, group, society, sex or system to physical or emotional injury or attack. The term can also refer to a person who lets their guard down, leaving themselves open to censure or criticism...
was increased by personal differences such as being a foreigner or of a different sex; by working in a post-modern field such as music or literature; financial pressure; or having an aggressive superior. Other factors included envy
Envy
Envy is best defined as a resentful emotion that "occurs when a person lacks another's superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it."...
, heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
and campus politics.
Manifestations
Bullying in this workplace has been described as somewhat more subtle than usual. Its recipients may be the target of unwanted physical contact, violence, obscene or loud language during meetings, be disparaged among their colleagues in venues they are not aware of, and face difficulties when seeking promotion. It may also be manifested by undue demands for compliance with regulations.Effects
A 2008 study of the topic, conducted on the basis of a survey at a Canadian university, concluded that the practice had several unproductive costs, including increased employee turnover.The long term effects of bullying are detrimental. Those who suffer from such demoralizing behaviour resort to a variety of coping mechanisms and strategies to alleviate the bullied life they lead. Many adults tell their children the solution is to walk away or tell an adult but it is not always that easy. They suffer self-esteem issues which result in anorexia, bulimia, self mutilation, and even suicide. Another way they get back is by attacking the bully with an argument or physical altercation. They also handle it by bullying someone else which creates a never ending downward spiral. The article Examining Student Responses to Frequent Bullying : A Latent Class Approach states “Several studies have documented that being the victim of frequent peer victimization is associated with adverse short- and long-term effects on both social–emotional problems and academic achievement." With all of these problems that our students are suffering a step needs to be made toward putting an end toward bullying.
Incidence
In 2008 the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's University and College Union
University and College Union
The University and College Union is a British trade union formed by the merger in 2006 of the Association of University Teachers and the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education ....
released the results of a survey taken among its 9,700 members. 51% of respondents said they had never been bullied, 16.7% that they had occasionally experienced it, and 6.7% that they were "always" or "often" subjected to bullying. The results varied by member institutions, with respondents from the University of East London
University of East London
The University of East London is a university located in the London Borough of Newham, East London, England, based at two campuses in Stratford and Docklands areas...
reporting the highest incidence.
The Times Higher Education commissioned a survey in 2005 and received 843 responses. Over 40% reported they had been bullied, with 33% reporting "unwanted physical contact" and 10% reporting physical violence; about 75% reported they were aware that co-workers had been bullied. The incidence rate found in this survey was higher than that usually found via internal polling (12 to 24 percent).
Author C. K. Gunsalus describes the problem as "low incidence, high severity," analagous to research misconduct. She identifies the aggressors' misuse of the concepts of academic freedom
Academic freedom
Academic freedom is the belief that the freedom of inquiry by students and faculty members is essential to the mission of the academy, and that scholars should have freedom to teach or communicate ideas or facts without being targeted for repression, job loss, or imprisonment.Academic freedom is a...
and collegiality
Collegiality
Collegiality is the relationship between colleagues.Colleagues are those explicitly united in a common purpose and respecting each other's abilities to work toward that purpose...
as a commonly used strategy.
Bullying of medical students
In a 2005 British study, around 35% of medical students reported having been bullied. Around one in four of the 1,000 students questioned said they had been bullied by a doctor, while one in six had been bullied by a nurse. Manifestations of bullying included:- being humiliated by teachers in front of patients
- been victimised for not having come from a "medical family"
- being put under pressure to carry out a procedure without supervision.
See also
Further reading
BooksAcademic papers
- Chapell M, Casey D, De la Cruz C, Ferrell J Bullying in College by Students and Teachers - Adolescence, Spring, 2004
- Hughes G Examples of Good Practice when Dealing with Bullying in a Further/Higher Education College - Pastoral Care in Education, 2001
- Krestelica D Do policies on bullying make a difference? Contrasting strategy regimes within higher education in Australia and Croatia - International Journal of Management and Decision Making, Volume 10, Numbers 5-6, 23 June 2009, Pages 303-320
- Lester J Not Your Child's Playground: Workplace Bullying Among Community College Faculty - Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 2009
- Lewis D Workplace bullying–interim findings of a study in further and higher education in Wales - International Journal of Manpower, Vol 20 Issue 1/2 1999
- Savva C The impact of bullying in further and higher education - Bullying at Work research and update conference 1998
- Harassment and Bullying in Higher & Further Education The National Harassment Network First Higher and Further Education Branch Annual Conference 1997
External links
- Baldridge JV Civility, Incivility, Bullying, and Mobbing in Academe
- Karim N Bullying in Universities: It exists The Independent on Sunday 15 January 2010
- Westhues K Workplace Mobbing in Academe
- Bullying of Academics in Higher Education