This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Faculty and university staff members report being bullied in two ways: by their colleagues and supervisors, and by their students over grades, according to an international study I conducted with colleagues Zahra Moradi and Deborah Circo. Researchers define workplace bullying as harmful acts of mistreatment between people that go beyond incivility and cross the line to intentionally cause harm.
In other words, it's behavior any reasonable person would know isn't OK. Junior faculty and staff faced more workplace bullying from peers. Faculty members and staff who are Black, Indigenous or people of color were targeted more frequently.
Senior faculty were more likely than younger educators to report being bullied by students over grades. Although bullying usually runs down the chain of power—for example, from a boss to an employee—grade bullying flips that. Researchers call it contrapower harassment—when someone with less formal power targets someone with more.
More than 30% of adult workers in the U.S. and Canada experience bullying, harassment and sexual abuse in the workplace at any given time, harming both individuals and organizations. That rate is more than double in academia, where bullying rates are as high as 68% at some institutions, far exceeding those in general workplaces and aligning with high-stress fields like emergency services, according to our peer-reviewed findings published in the October 2026 Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Practice. Academic bullying undermines both the well-being of staff and faculty and the integrity of higher education institutions.
Thirty percent of our survey respondents reported that students pressured them for a better grade. Students' tactics included threatening grade appeals, malicious complaints, negative online reviews, emotional manipulation and intimidation. Women and minority faculty are particularly affected.
Over time, the bullying creates a toxic environment that damages relationships between faculty and students and hurts the quality of education for everyone. Such pressure could result in mental health issues like anxiety and depression, decreased job satisfaction and reduced productivity. These dynamics not only affect individual faculty members but can also lead to long-term damage to the reputation of institutions and negatively impact students' educational experiences.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
