An international study of 189 faculty and staff members at colleges and universities in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom examined bullying from colleagues, supervisors, and students. Published in the October 2026 Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Practice, the findings described bullying rates reaching 68% at some institutions.
Workplace bullying involves intentional mistreatment that goes beyond ordinary incivility. Anonymous participants answered questions about 22 forms of mistreatment by colleagues and supervisors, with separate questions addressing student pressure over grades. The most common colleague-related problems were excessive workloads, withheld information, and impossible deadlines, rather than shouting or threats.
Junior faculty and staff experienced more bullying from peers, while Black, Indigenous, and other employees of color were targeted more frequently. Senior faculty, by contrast, were more likely than younger educators to report grade-related bullying by students. Women and minority faculty were particularly affected by student pressure.
Thirty percent of respondents reported pressure from students seeking higher grades, including threats of grade appeals, malicious complaints, negative online reviews, emotional manipulation, and intimidation. Student pressure was reported more frequently than bullying by colleagues. Researchers describe harassment directed at someone with greater formal authority as “contrapower harassment,” a reversal of the more familiar pattern in which a supervisor targets a subordinate.
The consequences can extend from anxiety and depression to diminished job satisfaction and productivity. Bullying also damages faculty-student relationships, undermines educational quality, and can inflict lasting reputational harm on institutions. The researchers argue that addressing this psychological harm requires stronger standards of conduct across universities, supported by leaders willing to enforce respectful behavior.
