An international study examined bullying among 189 teachers and other staff at colleges and universities in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Participants answered questions about mistreatment by colleagues and managers, as well as pressure from students. Workplace bullying involves deliberate harm, rather than simply being rude.
Bullying rates reached 68% at some institutions. In the survey, 30% of respondents said students had pressured them for higher marks, making this more commonly reported than bullying by colleagues. Students' methods included threats to make formal complaints about marks, harmful complaints and negative online reviews.
Junior staff experienced more bullying from colleagues, while Black staff and people from other minority groups were targeted more frequently. Senior teachers were more likely than younger teachers to report bullying by students over marks. Women and minority teachers were particularly affected by this pressure.
The most common problems involving colleagues included excessive workloads, information being kept from them and deadlines that were impossible to meet. Pressure over marks can harm mental health and reduce job satisfaction and productivity. It can also damage relationships between teachers and students, weakening the quality of education.
