An international study surveyed 189 academic and other staff at colleges and universities in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Respondents anonymously reported their experiences of 22 forms of mistreatment by colleagues and supervisors, while separate questions addressed student pressure over marks. Workplace bullying is defined as intentional mistreatment that goes beyond incivility to cause harm.
Bullying rates reached 68% at some institutions. Thirty per cent of survey respondents reported pressure from students seeking higher marks, an experience reported more frequently than bullying by colleagues. Tactics included threats of formal appeals against marks, malicious complaints, negative online reviews, emotional manipulation and intimidation.
Junior employees faced more bullying from colleagues, and Black, Indigenous and other ethnic minority staff were targeted more frequently. Senior academics were more likely than younger educators to report student bullying over marks, while women and minority academics were particularly affected. Such behaviour reverses the usual direction of workplace bullying: someone with less formal authority targets someone with more.
Mistreatment by colleagues most commonly involved excessive workloads, withheld information and impossible deadlines, rather than shouting or threats. These less obvious behaviours can be easier to dismiss, despite their harmful nature.
Pressure over marks can contribute to anxiety and depression, lower job satisfaction and reduced productivity. By damaging relationships between academics and students, bullying can also undermine educational quality and institutional reputations. The researchers argue that addressing it requires higher standards of conduct and leaders committed to enforcing respectful behaviour.
