PREVENTION of BULLYING on CAMPUS

Author(s): CLARA WAJNGURT

Source: Academe, Vol. 100, No. 3, RIGHT DOWN TO THE REAL NITTY-GRITTY (MAY–JUNE
2014), pp. 39-41
Published by: American Association of University Professors
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24642932
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 BY CLARA WAJNGURT

Bullying frequently appears in the workplace—even the academic workplace.

All of us need to be aware of the signs of it as well as the potential results.

higher education, defines campus bullying as be

havior at colleges and universities that tends "to CLARA WAJNGURT is professor of
mathematics at the City University of
threaten, to intimidate, to humiliate or to isolate
Elizabeth Farrington, an expert on women in
New York Queensborough Community
College, where she has taught since
members of the working university environment
1983. She is collaborating on the devel
[and] that undermines reputation or job performance." It opment of an antibullying policy at her

institution and has lobbied for the Healthy

occurs frequently, and very often we who work in these en Workplace Bill in New York. Her e-mail
vironments are unaware of it. address is cwajngurt@qcc.cuny.edu.

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ACADEME MAY-JUNE 2014 39

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 Imagine the following scenarios: • A faculty member believes that she is a target of
bias or discrimination in the department. She feels
• A unit director submits work to a vice president
who makes comments that discredit or devalue the
that her professional status is threatened through
isolation and obstruction.
work of the director. The vice president criticizes
the director, shows a lack of patience, and fails to Bullying is an escalating process in which the
demonstrate, in a sensitive, professional manner, person who is bullied is in an inferior position. Bully
how to proceed. ing in the workplace is an act of aggression, and it is
• A committee is asked to review the state of depart associated with high stress levels and lack of collegial
mental assessment, but the department chair ity. The bullying employer demeans, humiliates, and
declines to share significant information with the intimidates employees as individuals.
committee and comes to a committee meeting where In severe situations, workplace bullying triggers
he denigrates a member for lack of knowledge. health problems for the bullied employee. Accord
• A faculty member is given an unreasonable teach ing to legal expert Sarah Morris, 37 percent of
ing schedule. He is e-mailed his teaching schedule adult Americans are affected by workplace bullying;
with a note emphasizing that the schedule is not many victims stay in their jobs even though they feel
open to discussion. tormented.
• The registrar asks the associate registrar not only Employers, including colleges and universities,
to compile student registration figures for each need to consider strategies for training employees in
academic department but also to write the enroll problem solving, consensus building, negotiation, and
ment management section of the accreditation mediation. This kind of training promotes skills that
report. If the assignment is not completed by next could defuse tensions and reduce bullying behaviors.,
week, the associate registrar is told, he will suffer
disciplinary action. HARMFUL CONSEQUENCES

• The director of grants carefully monitors the
professional schedule of the coordinator of grants, ers to promote ethical conduct and a collegial work
imposing restrictive work rules.
• A faculty member in the professorial ranks makes bers, academic professionals, or administrators, can
cruel, insulting comments in public about an unten experience serious psychological and physiological
ured faculty member's psychological problems.
• In the performance review of a faculty member
who is up for promotion, the department chair
undermines the faculty member's professional
standing, does not identify reasonable means of
improvement, and ignores the faculty member's
contributions to the department.
IS BULLYING A PROBLEM ON YOUR CAMPUS?
The following behaviors may constitute workplace
bullying:
• verbal abuse
• nonverbal conduct that is threatening, humiliating,
or intimidating
• interference in work or sabotage that prevents
work from getting done
• false accusations of mistakes
• hostile glares
• yelling or shouting
• "exclusion" of individuals
• use of put-downs or insults
• unreasonably heavy work demands
It is in the best interest of college and university le
environment. Bullied workers, be they faculty mem
problems, from insomnia and depression to cardiov
cular disease and impaired memory.
Reducing workplace bullying is cost-effective,
resulting in happier, more passionate employees. Aft
all, people don't work well in high-anxiety situation
Employers experience reduced productivity when
employees are bullied. Employees who are bullied ar
less motivated at work and may go to great lengths
to avoid unpleasant situations, calling in sick more
often and even leaving their jobs. Employers may a
become liable for legal costs resulting from the mi
treatment of employees.
FIGHTING WORKPLACE BULLYING
Forty-eight states have passed laws requiring school
districts to take specific actions to prevent bullying,
and some states are trying to introduce legislation on
workplace bullying.
Comprehensive antibullying laws could protect
employees and provide incentives for employers to
respond to bullying. Provisions of one proposed law,
New York's Healthy Workplace Bill, include com
pensation for targets of workplace bullying who can
demonstrate physical or psychological harm; at the

40 MAY-JUNE 2014 ACADEME

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 SYMPTOMS OF BULLYING

same time, the law would shield from liability employ Victims of bullying may suffer from the following
ers who engage in preventive actions. The Healthy psychological, physical, and behavioral problems:
Workplace Bill would force employers to pay serious • severe stress or anxiety
attention to complaints from employees. Such a bill • panic attacks
would make a difference for those individuals who have • sleep disturbance
witnessed or experienced workplace bullying. • concentration difficulties

Most American colleges and universities have a • tendency to make mistakes and have
workplace code of conduct that deals with harass accidents

ment, but few have codes of conduct that deal with • loss of control
workplace bullying. Colleges and universities are • depression
presumably guided by mission and goals statements, • elevated blood pressure and risk of
but chilly working climates often belie these lofty cardiovascular disease
pronouncements. • reduced resistance to infection

Effective leaders in higher education provide • impaired memory function

direction and create a structure to support their • stomach and bowel problems
decisions. They foster a supportive and collaborative • severe loss of confidence and self-esteem
environment. Freedom of expression and thought are• headaches and feelings of nausea
essential, but rules of conduct must reflect the college's
• gain or loss of weight
mission and be enforced. Colleges and universities • aggression
must develop clear statements of organizational values • irritability
that foster a culture of mutual respect. • vengefulness
Colleges and universities can arrange an early-alert• withdrawal from social activities

program in which administrative and academic depart • obsessive dwelling on the aggressor
ments are trained to recognize workplace bullying. In • feeling of being emotionally drained
addition to educating faculty and staff on harassment

Bullying in the workplace is an act of aggression,

and it is associated with high stress levels and lack
of collegiality, The bullying employer demeans,
humiliates, and intimidates employees as individuals.

policies, institutions can offer workshops on antibully
ing behavior. An objective mediator or someone who
specializes in conflict resolution can also be helpful,
since people who are being bullied often cannot con
front the bullies themselves. Grievances over alleged
bullying behavior must be taken seriously.
An effective policy should help employees under
stand what steps to take in response to inappropriate
behavior at work and what behavior is expected of
employees. It should also describe the steps for filing
a complaint and provide for the involvement of a
third party well versed in aggression, control, conflict,
and resolution to support the victim. Employees need
to be encouraged to speak up when they encounter
inappropriate behavior. Behavior expectations can
be considered during performance evaluations, and
employees need to be made aware when another's
behavior is inappropriate.
By educating faculty and staff members on campus
policies through ongoing workshops and by provid
ing an objective mediator, colleges and universities can
begin to tackle workplace bullying, allowing faculty
and staff to focus on producing students who are pre
pared for the world. ■
www.aaup.org/academe
Visit Academe online for a supplemental web-only
article on campus bullying.

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ACADEME MAY-JUNE 2014 41

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