Bullying rates reach 68% at some colleges, on par with emergency services — and students angling for better grades are the biggest source

Detailed summary

Thirty percent of our survey respondents reported that students pressured them for a better grade.

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.

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