Bullying in academia

Bullying in academia is workplace bullying of scholars and staff in academia, especially places of higher education such as colleges and universities. It is believed to be common, although has not received as much attention from researchers as bullying in some other contexts.^[1]

Various bullying permutations are possible, such as:

• principal bullying lecturer
• lecturer bullying lecturer
• student 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 faculty, most of whom have not received the management training that could enable an effective response to such situations.^[2] 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.^[2] Academic victims of bullying may also be particularly conflict-averse.^[2]

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."^[3][4] 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.^[5]

Mobbing

Kenneth Westhues' 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.^[6] Other factors included envy, heresy and campus politics.^[6]

Manifestations

Bullying in this workplace has been described as somewhat more subtle than usual.^[4] 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.^[4][7] It may also be manifested by undue demands for compliance with regulations.^[8]

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.^[9]

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.^[10]

Incidence

In 2008 the United Kingdom's University and College Union released the results of a survey taken among its 9,700 members.^[11] 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.^[11] The results varied by member institutions, with respondents from the University of East London reporting the highest incidence.^[11]

The Times Higher Education commissioned a survey in 2005 and received 843 responses.^[7] 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.^[7] The incidence rate found in this survey was higher than that usually found via internal polling (12 to 24 percent).^[7]

Author C. K. Gunsalus describes the problem as "low incidence, high severity," analagous to research misconduct.^[3] She identifies the aggressors' misuse of the concepts of academic freedom and collegiality as a commonly used strategy.^[3]

Bullying of medical students

Main article: Bullying in medicine

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:^[12]

• 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

• Academic dishonesty
• Bullying in teaching
• Hazing
• Ragging
• Rape of college women
• School bullying
• Sexual harassment in education
• Sham peer review
• Student prank
• Workplace incivility

References

1. ^ Keashly L Faculty Experiences with Bullying in Higher Education Causes, Consequences, and Management - Administrative Theory & Praxis Volume 32, Number 1 March 2010
2. ^ ^{a b c} Macgorine A. Cassell, Fairmont State University. "Bullying In Academe: Prevalent, Significant, and Incessant (2010 IABR & ITLC Conference Proceedings )". The Clute Institute for Academic Research. http://www.gimi.us/CLUTE_INSTITUTE/ORLANDO_2010/Article%20450.pdf. Retrieved 2011-03-08. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} C. K. Gunsalus (30 September 2006). The college administrator's survival guide. Harvard University Press. pp. 124–125. ISBN 9780674023154. http://books.google.com/books?id=kqj3WPppDXcC&pg=PA124. Retrieved 7 March 2011. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} Robert Cantwell; Jill Scevak (August 2009). An Academic Life: A Handbook for New Academics. Australian Council for Educational Research. p. 168. ISBN 9780864319081. http://books.google.com/books?id=iziJW_nAY7oC&pg=PA168. Retrieved 8 March 2011. 
5. ^ Reveal bullying in academia, http://pi-reviews.blogspot.com/ 
6. ^ ^{a b} Workplace Bullying in the Academic World?, Higher Education Development Association, 13 May 2007, http://uv-net.uio.no/wpmu/hedda/2007/05/13/workplace-bullying-in-the-academic-world/ 
7. ^ ^{a b c d} Anthea Lipsett (2005-09-16). "Bullying rife across campus". Times Higher Education. http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=198392&sectioncode=26. Retrieved 2011-03-08. 
8. ^ "Workplace Mediators Seek a Role in Taming Faculty Bullies". The Chronicle of Higher Education. http://chronicle.com/article/Workplace-Mediators-Seek-a-/65815/. Retrieved 2011-03-09. 
9. ^ McKay, R. Arnold, D. H. Fratzl, J. Thomas, R.. "Workplace Bullying In Academia: A Canadian Study". Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal Volume 20, Number 2, Pages 77-100 2008. http://www.springerlink.com/content/a8662028u1vt556n/. Retrieved 2011-03-07. 
10. ^ Waasdorp, Tracy Evian; Catherine P. Bradshaw (2011). "Examining student responses to frequent bullying: A latent class approach."". Journal of Educational Psychology 103 (2): 336-352. 
11. ^ ^{a b c} Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Innovation; Universities; Science and Skills Committee (2009). Students and universities: eleventh report of session 2008-09, Vol. 2: Oral and written evidence. The Stationery Office. pp. 531–532. ISBN 9780215540720. http://books.google.com/books?id=uDtmRVjshEUC&pg=PA531. Retrieved 8 March 2011. 
12. ^ Curtis, Polly (May 4, 2005). "Medical students complain of bullying". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2005/may/04/highereducation.science. Retrieved October 9, 2011. 

Further reading

Books

• Riley, S (2010). Barsteadworth College - How Workplace Bullies Get Away With It. London: Chipmunka Publishing. ISBN 9781849911825. http://www.a-n.co.uk/interface/whatson/single/649919/1. 
• Towler, J (2011). Chaos and Academic Mobbing - The True Story of The Renison Affair. 
• Twale, DJ (2008). Faculty Incivility: The Rise of the Academic Bully Culture and What to Do About It. ISBN 978-0-470-19766-0. http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470197668.html. 
• Westhues, K (2004). The Envy of Excellence: Administrative Mobbing of High-Achieving Professors. Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press. ISBN 0773459790. http://www.mellenpress.com/mellenpress.cfm?bookid=6363&pc=9. 

Academic 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
• Lewis, D (2003). "Voices in the social construction of bullying at work: exploring multiple realities in further and higher education". International Journal of Management and Decision Making 4 (1): 65-81. http://www.inderscience.com/search/index.php?action=record&rec_id=2489. 
• Misawa, M (Winter 2010). "Racist and Homophobic Bullying in Adulthood: Narratives from Gay Men of Color in Higher Education". New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development 24 (1). http://education.fiu.edu/newhorizons/journals/New%20Horizons%20in%20AEHRD%2024(1).pdf. 
• Savva C The impact of bullying in further and higher education - Bullying at Work research and update conference 1998
• Simpson, R (2004). "Dangerous Work: The Gendered Nature of Bullying in the Context of Higher Education". Gender Work and Organization 11 (2): 163-186. http://dspace.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/3771/1/Gender%20work%20and%20organization2.pdf. 
• Thomas, M (2005). "Bullying among support staff in a higher education institution". Health Education 105 (4): 273-288. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1509710&show=abstract. 
• 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