Researchers asked 189 teachers and other workers at universities and colleges about bullying. These people worked in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. They answered questions about bad treatment from other workers, bosses and students. Bullying means treating someone badly on purpose to hurt them.
At some universities and colleges, bullying affected as many as 68% of workers. In the study, 30% of people said students put pressure on them for better marks. Students sometimes threatened to complain or wrote bad reviews online. People reported pressure from students more often than bullying from other workers.
Workers in less senior jobs faced more bullying from other workers. Black workers and workers from other minority groups also faced bullying more often. More senior teachers reported bullying from students more often than younger teachers. Women and teachers from minority groups faced particular problems with pressure over marks.
Bullying from other workers often involved too much work, too little information or too little time to finish tasks. Pressure over marks can hurt teachers' mental health and make them less happy at work. It can also damage relationships between teachers and students. These problems can hurt the quality of education.
