{"id":4028,"date":"2022-10-31T11:39:58","date_gmt":"2022-10-31T11:39:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/how-to-support-a-colleague-who-is-a-target-of-academic-bullying\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T16:37:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T11:07:59","slug":"how-to-support-a-colleague-who-is-a-target-of-academic-bullying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/how-to-support-a-colleague-who-is-a-target-of-academic-bullying","title":{"rendered":"How to support a colleague who is a target of academic bullying"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to the American Psychological Association, \u201cBullying is a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort1<\/sup>.\u201d Ideally, a community as innovative and knowledgeable as the academic world would be a bully-free zone. Unfortunately, the reality is far from the ideal. Bullying and harassment are surprisingly prevalent in academia. The results of the CACTUS Mental Health Survey indicated that 37% of more than 13,000 worldwide respondents reported experiencing harassment or bullying in their academic workplace2<\/sup>. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Although academic bullying sometimes takes the form of verbal or physical abuse, many of the harmful behaviors are more covert and difficult to see, such as denying access to information, sabotaging another\u2019s work, and taking undeserved credit. This invisibility also makes it difficult for people to talk about bullying and results in many targets of bullying feeling forced to remain quiet.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The hidden nature of bullying behavior makes it difficult for colleagues and management to understand the situation, which often results in misinterpretations by colleagues and mismanagement by the institution3<\/sup>. Some colleagues, or bystanders, who are aware of the bullying may be pressured into or willingly take the side of the bully, leading to \u201cmobbing\u201d behavior. Other bystanders may distance themselves from the situation for fear of becoming targets themselves. Most people who work alongside the target remain unaware of the bullying. However, those who are aware and are unwilling to tolerate the negative behavior can be very important in alleviating the problem.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If a colleague confides in you that they are a target of bullying, you are in a unique position to support that colleague, hold the bully accountable, and help improve the workplace environment.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

How you can support a colleague who is experiencing bullying<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Assuming you didn\u2019t actually observe any overt bullying behavior directed against your colleague, becoming directly involved in the situation might cause you and the target even more difficulties. For instance, it could lead to an escalation in the bullying behavior or it could result in you becoming a target. If you feel safe doing so, you may consider speaking to someone you trust in management or personnel. However, if you don\u2019t feel comfortable becoming directly involved, there are many other ways in which you can support your colleague.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n