Surviving Academic Bullying: Stories and Resources for Targets

Surviving Academic Bullying: Stories and Resources for Targets

By Debanjan Borthakur and Linda Crockett

Abuse and harassment in academic settings—often termed “academic bullying”—is an issue of critical importance, both because of its prevalence and the growing effort required to identify, address, and mitigate its effects. A wide range of researchers across academic roles (e.g., PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and junior faculty) are subjected to such abuse. Key drivers include large power gaps between individuals and longstanding hierarchical structures within universities. When people exploit this power, they may use overt or covert tactics that make subordinates feel vulnerable throughout their programs. Unfortunately, out of fear and confusion, many students silently endure this abuse. In practice, when someone does speak up, universities can reproduce patterns seen in toxic workplaces—often protecting the respondent (bully or harasser).

This article is co-authored by Debanjan Borthakur, a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto and member of the Academic Parity Movement, and Linda Crockett, founder of the Canadian Institute of Workplace Bullying Resources (CIWPBR)—a for-profit organization serving all parties—and The Canadian Institute of Workplace Harassment and Violence (CIWHV), which raises funds to support those who are harmed with legal or treatment fees. Linda is also a member of the Academic Parity Movement. We offer this article to shine light on a difficult and often silenced topic. We want to break the silence and support students who may be experiencing academic bullying. You are not alone; it is not your fault; you did nothing to deserve this; and it is important to reach out for confidential support.

The concept of bullying is not unfamiliar to me (Debanjan), given my research experience at various institutions. At one point during my academic journey, I encountered instances where requests for project-related support were met with dismissive responses, which made collaboration difficult. In another case, a prolonged lack of communication regarding my contributions created delays in my academic progress. While these are just a few examples, I’m happy to share further context separately if needed for the sake of brevity.

Academic bullying has gained more awareness in recent years. As a specialist working in workplace bullying for over 12 years, CIWPBR observes many similarities between academia and other workplaces—and one thing is certain: the injuries are the same. Whether in the workplace or academia, people feel shocked, confused, afraid, worried that no one will believe them or support them, and terrified about their future careers, reputations, and livelihoods. We invest so much into our careers and never expect danger to lurk where we simply hope to learn, start our careers, and do the work we love.

To help bring more awareness to academic bullying, Morteza Mahmoudi of Michigan State University launched the Academic Parity Movement. This movement has increased awareness by offering research, conferences, and resources. Thanks to Mahmoudi and his volunteers, more people now understand exploitation, discrimination, and educational abuse in institutions of higher education.

It is also important to acknowledge systemic racism—policies and practices entrenched in institutions that result in the exclusion or unfair treatment of designated groups. This can be a catalyst for the abuse of international students. The stakes are high: many skilled researchers ultimately give up their doctoral education because of the abuse they experience.

For example, two students known to us from two North American universities recently resigned from their PhD programs because of psychological harassment (bullying). Sadly, 40–70% of students who enroll in PhD programs do not complete their doctoral studies in the United States (Gardner, 2007), and supervisors hold significant responsibility for PhD attrition (Devos et al., 2017; Rigler et al., 2017).

A pattern we see is that highly capable students can be more vulnerable to bullying when they are financially dependent on their supervisors. “Academic bullying” has been defined as sustained hostile behavior from one’s academic superior, including—but not limited to—ridiculing, threatening, blaming, invasion of privacy, public put-downs, and interference with matriculation and career progress (e.g., removing funding, writing falsely negative recommendation letters, taking credit for others’ work, or threatening to cancel visas or fellowships) (Moss & Mahmoudi, 2021).

Bullying can be a career tool for mediocre academics, too. Tauber et al. (2022) note that abuse of power, mobbing, and devaluing others’ achievements can sabotage targets’ careers, effectively removing competition. Once at the top, those who bully may use the same strategies to promote their “chosen ones” and become untouchable. Given the stakes, the scientific community should put forward new policies—or strengthen existing ones—to deter psychological abuse and protect the psychological safety of all students and researchers.

Sadly, the stress of enduring psychological harassment (bullying and/or discrimination) can lead some harmed individuals to pass that harm on to others—a “trickle-down effect.” Such abuse can push students into depression. Consider John Brady, a doctoral candidate in engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who received his degree in 2017 and tragically died by suicide a year after raising concerns about abuse by his lab professor.

In a 2019 survey (Moss & Mahmoudi, 2021), 84% of respondents reported being targets of academic abuse and 59% reported witnessing others being targeted—underscoring both prevalence and fear. As a result, nonconformist free thinkers may struggle to succeed within abusive hierarchies. We are losing brilliant minds because this exploitation can also drive strong academics out (Kossek, Su, & Wu, 2017). Given the seriousness of this problem, it is critical to reduce targets’ dependency on abusers. Tauber et al. (2022) offer recommendations such as prohibiting perpetrators from submitting letters of recommendation for students they have bullied (with department chairs or others writing instead) and allowing PhD and postdoctoral students to independently pursue research and publications when supervisors engage in bullying. In some contexts, however, these recommendations are not yet implemented.

Students and early-career researchers often find it difficult to speak up about mistreatment, as doing so can put their academic progress and future opportunities at risk. Many feel vulnerable, uncertain, and afraid to file complaints—especially when their degrees or funding depend on maintaining relationships with supervisors. In some cases, speaking up has led to a breakdown in the student–supervisor relationship, including sudden termination from research projects or labs without clear communication.
There have also been reports of adverse consequences for individuals who raise concerns, including withdrawal of funding, interference with scholarship applications, changes to authorship on publications without notice, and the retraction of recommendation letters. These patterns highlight the risks that some face when attempting to address issues through formal or informal channels.

All of these acts fall within established definitions of academic bullying (see Moss & Mahmoudi, 2021). Both of us have spoken with many student targets from different universities, and their stories are heart-wrenching. The Canadian Institute of Workplace Bullying Resources has also worked with professors who were bullied by other professors or by boards.

Misattribution of authorship, including practices such as ghost and gift writing, remains a persistent issue in academia. Changes to authorship positions without consent are not uncommon and can undermine the integrity of scholarly work. Unfortunately, many institutional structures are not adequately equipped to address such concerns. Support systems—such as equity or anti-discrimination offices—may lack specific expertise in recognizing and responding to academic bullying. In some cases, departments may not fully understand the dynamics of power misuse within academic settings. Discrimination often goes unrecognized or unacknowledged, and fear of retaliation discourages individuals from speaking out. This highlights the need for greater awareness and accountability, especially in ensuring that doctoral supervisors do not exploit the significant power they hold, treating students as undervalued labor (Slaughter, Archerd, & Campbell, 2004).

It is common for us to ignore the plight of those who are less fortunate. The Mahatma (great soul) we know today might not have existed had Gandhi not been thrown off a train in South Africa—an early humiliation that helped catalyze his resolve against injustice.

Building awareness and creating solutions for the prevention of academic bullying must be taken seriously. There will be very few individuals who will have the courage to speak out against academic bullying if the targeted individuals do not receive support or validation or justice. We will continue to see more bright students being forced to quit just to save their own health and sanity. The institutional support must improve and increase. We must make it mandatory to teach students at entry level about their rights, resources, and help them identify this abuse before they are harmed. It is imperative that the educational abuse of all students at all levels ceases. Mandatory training for instructors and professors at all levels is imperative to ensure that no one with power can misuse it. Polices must outline definitions, consequences, and examples of covert and overt tactics being used. In addition, protection against retaliation and examples of covert and overt tactics of retaliation needs to be included.

As the founder of the first one stop resource in Canada, CIWPBR has been advocating, building awareness, and offering specialized services to employers and employees in Canada from all industries and professions for over 12 years. Over the past 3 year more resources are being created and evolving and the Academic Parity Movement founded by Morteza Mahmoudi, PhD – is a resource that all academic students need to become familiar with. You can find it here www.paritymovement.org

This site will provide you with further information to help you identify if you are a target of academic bullying, share examples from other students and the challenges they face, and it will offer you some useful solutions. When I (Linda) was in university doing my master’s degree specializing in workplace bullying, I was laughed at, made fun of, dismissed, and told by my professors that workplace bullying was ‘not an actual thing’. They said this topic will go nowhere for me. In fact, my pattern of A and A+ papers turned to B- papers as soon as one rather abrasive, dominating and controlling instructor took exception to my topic area. She even admitted to me, behind closed doors of course, that these lower marks would continue until I considered another topic. To add further insult, before I graduated, a PhD student stole my topic for her own thesis and took credit for it right in front of me. Not an uncommon tactic in academia.

To offer another example, I was also shocked when nine years later, keeping in mind we would now have legislation in my province to protect people at work from psychological harassment, and thousands of research papers have been written over decades for academics to read, when I crossed paths with yet another former professor of mine. In fact, she was one person who led me to believe that she fully supported my goal of creating CIWPBR. Her shocking words to me were, “I think this bullying thing might be about people who feel sorry for themselves.” This type of response from a highly educated person, working in human services, and influencing generations of scholars coming up the ranks, speaks to the depth of the problem in universities today. To be honest, I was staggered obtuseness. It is obvious that a lot of work needs to be done just in bringing simple awareness of the issue to professional educators and their university administrations (these attitudes can only exist in university systems that are designed to tolerate them).

CIWBR has worked with thousands of adults (students and employees), who have suffered from these abuses of power which includes the shame and silence it causes for fear of damaging their reputations, careers, and losing the jobs for which they went to university. They have families to care for, mortgages to pay, retirements to plan and often a loved one who needs the health benefits earned through their work. Adult bullying is far more sophisticated and insidious than childhood bullying. No one deserves this abuse at any age.

“Bullying fundamentally disrupts the trust and nurturing relationships necessary to achieve any school’s mission. Most observers within and outside education would agree that fair and civil treatment of students is—or at least should be—embedded in the ecology of academic work. However, the opposite seems to be true: The problem of educator-student bullying is compounded by a general absence of institutional policies and procedures written to handle allegations of abusive conduct- ‘Abuse of power’ by Alan McEvoy”. 

The following is a basic overview of the psychological and physical injuries of adult bullying:

  • Insomnia, fatigue, loss of focus/concentration, and memory.
  • Increased fear, isolation, anxiety, panic attacks.
  • Hypervigilance weakened immune system, frequent illnesses (e.g., cold, flus, viruses, infections).
  • Loss of trust, safety, respect and commitment or motivation.
  • Loss of appetite, increasing headaches, body pain, gastrointestinal issues, blood pressure.
  • Depression, Adjustment Disorders, PTSD, Burn Out, suicidal ideation, feeling trapped, stuck, helpless/hopeless, paranoid.

“It is important for audiences of many kinds to understand that psychological trauma, the type most noticeable in bullying, produces biologically measurable damage to specific regions of the developing brain.”  Dr. John Medina Neurobiologist, author of Brain Rules 2nd ed. 2014

Unfortunately, the silence and shame that people feel will always feed those who are toxic and enable this abuse to continue. “Many people do not know that all forms of bullying and abuse can do significant and lasting harm to both the perpetrator and targets brains”- Jennifer Fraser. 

As a therapist, advocate, and coach, I have been noticing over the past 12 years that this abuse (in the workplace), is now coming out of the closet. More people are talking about it. More resources are becoming available. This is not going away, and the day is coming when more universities will be exposed for the psychological hazards of psychological harassment, sexual harassment, and psychological violence (bullying and racism). The following are a few tips on how to deal with academic bullying and discrimination. Mahmoudi, M. (2020) also provides some useful tips that targets of academic bullying can employ to protect themselves and fight back.

Steps to take as soon as you sense, or are certain, something is not right!

Document and record any interactions that involve situations that make you feel uncomfortable, or that become abusive behaviour. Simply print off and save emails and memos in a binder “at home.” Document verbal conversations or make sure to have conversations in the presence of a trusted ally. If you just cannot write anymore, talk to your phone recorder, date it, and keep it safe. Download this to your home computer whenever possible. Documentation is critical for several reasons!

 “The Six Cs of Documentation” clarity, confidence, courage, complaint, consistency, and credibility. This is what you will need to win your case and protect your mental health (Crockett).

Documentation will also help you maintain your mental health. This type of abuse does not cause an injury overnight. It is an accumulation of many insults over time, often months to years. With that in mind you will become fatigued, forgetful, and when that happens, self-doubt, loss of self-confidence, loss of self-worth all creep in. Self-doubt can be debilitating.

Documentation maintains your clarity. Clarity maintains your confidence. Confidence maintains your courage to address this abuse in some form. Clarity, confidence, and courage will help you file a complaint.  With clarity, confidence, courage, and a complaint, you will have consistency which gives you credibly.

You always carry your cell phone so find an app that protects texting your documentation!

  • Consult your institution’s ombudsperson or mediation office. Be sure to ask if they have experience in this area and keep your expectations realistic. The ombudsman is not helpful when the university does not have clear policies on academic bullying.
  • Resist isolating. Stay safe but look for others who might be experiencing the same situation and are afraid of speaking up. Peer support is needed and valuable. When you have allies, it gives you courage and compels the institution to take you seriously. We find far more strength in numbers.
  • Each case will be unique. You need to talk to someone to develop strategies to cope, maintain your psychological and physical health, stay grounded in your own truth, feel heard and validated by others, and have an exit strategy just in case.
  • Remind yourself that you are human and that you do not deserve this abuse. We highly recommend you talk to a coach/counsellor who is experienced in this area. Have a safe space to vent, process, and gain guidance and support. Remind yourself that you are a target, not a victim. Resources are listed throughout this guide.
  • Know that you have a right to report abuse without being retaliated against. However, it happens with or without legislation in place. Toxic people find their ways to get back. Therefore documentation, having paper trails, and keeping recordings will be essential to you. This is how you can prepare for subtle, passive and/or micro aggressive acts of retaliation—and it might come from unexpected sources and colleagues. Protect yourself.
  • Reach out to your student’s union and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). They will be of immense help.
  • It is important not to be naïve. Sometimes the institution or Departmental responses might be biased. To avoid these mistakes, mistakes which cause additional harm to students, and targeted staff members, training on this topic needs to be mandatory for all staff and students!
  • Learn about gaslighting so you can recognize it before it causes you serious harm. Read more about gaslighting here https://www.verywellmind.com/is-someone-gaslighting-you-4147470.
  • Become informed of your rights and if you find the courage, take a stand. If you do not have the courage, talk to someone!
  • If you are an international student, it is also prudent to reach out to the embassy or consulate of your country as well as international office.
  • Equity-denied people, neuro-diverse people and international students are often the targets of bullying. Introverts and Highly Sensitive People are more prone to be bullied.
  • When your psychological and/or physical health has become so impacted that you are chronically ill, depressed, or having suicidal ideation, it is time for you to consider leaving the toxicity and saving your life. Nothing can be more important than your health. You must come first.

“Your recovery must be a priority, with or without justice” Linda Crockett.

Stay close to your loved ones, talk to them. Cultivating healthy habits or hobbies, walking, running, biking, swimming, meditation, yoga, any of these will help improve your mood and capacity to cope.

Did you know that employees who are federally employed have legislation to protect them in the workplace? And that most of our Canadian provinces have provincial law to protect employees? How is that Universities get away with no policies?

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” By George Bernard Shaw.

Read the research, spread your awareness, author some research, make allies, educate others, validate those going through this, offer support, advocate for policies, and keep your eye on the goal. You are there to get your degree and get out. Brighter days will come. You are not alone.

Guidelines for Academic Officials:

  1. Update your policies to explicitly address the conduct of both students and staff. Define academic bullying in your policies, offer examples, and inform that tolerance at any level is your policy. Use information from legislation and research.

 Examples of policies:

  • Protection against retaliation.
  • Protection against malicious complaints.
  • Protection against racism, discrimination, and sexual harassment.
  • Examples of consequences for the above.
  • Provide mandatory trauma informed training to all University staff, CUPE, legal services, student services, counselling services, unions, ombudsman, and all entry level students. Empower each with knowledge of early warning signs, risk factors, their rights, and resources. Training is mandatory in our legislation, and the best source of prevention.

Policies and training will include:

  • Strategies for protecting oneself, resources available, and processes or options for reporting abuse.
  • Detail the responsibilities and expectations of leaders, employees, and students. Every person should have access to learn what is expected of them, and what they can expect of others.
  • Offer alternative processes for complaints. What if the person causing harm is the Dean, Professor, Sessional Instructor, HR, Safety, or a student. Each will require a safe process.
  • Have trauma informed trained and experienced investigators to access when complaints occur. Avoid further harm by ensuring there is no risk of bias, conflict of interest, or lack of skill set. If you utilize experienced third-party investigators, you expedite recovery and repair e.g., rebuild trust and safety. Know that there are alternatives that need to be considered before doing an investigation. Also, please note that an investigation with the outcome of “unsubstantiated,” does not mean that the concern is resolved. Something happened. Either there was not enough information to substantiate a complaint, a problem occurred (e.g., incivility, abrasiveness, miscommunication, lack of knowledge, or a cultural difference), and this needs to be resolved, or someone made a malicious complaint.
  • Offer the right to appeal. Create a process by which grievances can be heard and settled. This is a basic civil right. 
  • Keep track of formal and informal complaints. Watch for patterns and/or recurrences including student comments on course evaluation forms. Any allegations of bullying should be included in annual evaluations.
  • Do not force anyone to confront the person they feel is causing them harm. This is an error placing the person feeling harmed at risk of further harm. Therefore, training is necessary.
  • Do not force anyone into mediation. If an injury has occurred, this process will not be best practices. Best practice is to have a consultation with a specialist in this area to determine next steps. There are many other options.
  • Consider creating a team for addressing complaints. This needs to include a several specialties e.g., leader, HR, Safety, Union, and most importantly, a counsellor (psychologist or clinical social worker), specifically trained in this area.
  • All parties involved have the right to a safe and confidential space to process what is happening for them. Have resources available for coach/counselling services specifically trained in this area.

It is the collective responsibility of the institution, teachers, and students to create a safe and productive workplace. “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower”- Alexander Den Heijer.

References:

Abdelaziz, E. M., & Abu‐Snieneh, H. M. (2022). The impact of bullying on the mental health and academic achievement of nursing students. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 58(2), 623–634. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppc.12863

Bokek-Cohen, Y. A., Shkoler, O., & Meiri, E. (2022). The unique practices of workplace bullying in academe: An exploratory study. Current Psychology, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03041-8

Devos, C., Boudrenghien, G., Van der Linden, N., Azzi, A., Frenay, M., Galand, B., & Klein, O. (2017). Doctoral students’ experiences leading to completion or attrition: A matter of sense, progress, and distress. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 32(1), 61–77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-016-0290-0

Gardner, S. K. (2007). “I heard it through the grapevine”: Doctoral student socialization in chemistry and history. Higher Education, 54(5), 723–740. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-006-9020-x

Kossek, E. E., Su, R., & Wu, L. (2017). “Opting out” or “pushed out”? Integrating perspectives on women’s career equality for gender inclusion and interventions. Journal of Management, 43(1), 228–254. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206316671582

Mahmoudi, M. (2020). A survivor’s guide to academic bullying. Nature Human Behaviour, 4(11), 1091–1091. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-020-00940-6

Moss, S. E., & Mahmoudi, M. (2021). STEM the bullying: An empirical investigation of abusive supervision in academic science. EClinicalMedicine, 40, 101121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.101121

Rashidi, Z., & Rouhani, S. (2022). Study of academic bullying in educational departments: Case study (humanities and engineering departments). Iranian Journal of Engineering Education, 24(93), 105–132.

Rigler, K. L., Jr., Bowlin, L. K., Sweat, K., Watts, S., & Throne, R. (2017). Agency, socialization, and support: A critical review of doctoral student attrition. Research in Higher Education Journal, 33, 1–18.

Slaughter, S., Archerd, C. J., & Campbell, T. I. (2004). Boundaries and quandaries: How professors negotiate market relations. The Review of Higher Education, 28(1), 129–165. https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.2004.0024

Täuber, S., & Mahmoudi, M. (2022). How bullying becomes a career tool. Nature Human Behaviour, 6(4), 475–475. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01283-0

Tauber, S., Keashly, L., Moss, S., Swann, J., Hollis, L., Crockett, L., Sareh, P., & Mahmoudi, M. (2022). Academic harassment: The need for interdependent actions of stakeholders. Nature Human Behaviour, 6, 366–369. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01285-y

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Additional Recommended Research, Articles or Books

We would like to extend an invitation to you. Please send us your short stories, ask your questions, offer answers, tips, or solutions, with or without your name being used. We will protect your confidentiality. Our goal is to offer a robust resource for all students and staff. These items can be email to psycholgicalsafetyfirst@gmail.com.

Authors

Debanjan Borthakur 
MS, Doctoral Candidate – University of Toronto
Debanjan Borthakur is a researcher in psychology and neuroscience with a master’s degree from McMaster University. His research explores the fascinating intersection of social and health psychology. But Debanjan isn’t just about academic rigour—he’s a passionate activist for psychological well-being in work environments. He’s a member of the academic parity movement. Partnered with The Canadian Institute of Workplace Harassment and Violence, Debanjan is on a mission to shed light on and combat academic bullying and discrimination. His research can be found here: Google Scholar Profile
Member of the www.paritymovement.org
Email: debanjanborthakur@gmail.com 
Social media: Twitter @Deb_Borthakur                    

Linda Crockett 
MSW, RSW, SEP, CCPA
Founder of The Canadian Institute of Workplace Harassment and Violence (not for profit), and The Canadian Institute of Workplace Bullying Resource Centre Inc. (for profit)  
www.workplaceharassment.ca 
Edmonton, Alberta Canada.
Member of the www.paritymovement.org 
Email: psychologicalsafetyfirst@gmail.com