Academic bullying is reported at rates of up to 68% at some colleges and universities, according to an international study of faculty and staff in the US, Canada and UK.
The research found that university employees faced mistreatment both from colleagues and supervisors, and from students seeking better grades. Junior faculty and staff were more likely to report bullying by peers, while senior academics more often described pressure from students.
The findings were published in the October 2026 issue of the Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Practice. The study was conducted by Jason Walker, an associate professor of psychology, health and wellness at Adler University, with Zahra Moradi and Deborah Circo.
Pressure over grades
Nearly one in three respondents said students had pressured them to raise a mark. Reported tactics included threats of grade appeals, malicious complaints, negative online reviews, emotional manipulation and intimidation.
Women and minority faculty were particularly affected, the study found. Pressure over grades was reported more frequently than bullying from colleagues.
The researchers described this behaviour as “contrapower harassment” because students, who hold less formal authority within a university, target staff with greater institutional power over them.
Bullying typically operates down a chain of command, such as from a manager to an employee. In universities, however, the study suggests that students can use complaints, appeals and public criticism to put pressure on academic staff.
Bullying by colleagues
The survey involved 189 faculty members and staff at colleges and universities across the three countries. Participants answered questions about 22 forms of mistreatment by colleagues and supervisors, as well as separate questions about student pressure over grades.
The most common problems involving colleagues were not shouting or explicit threats. Respondents more often cited unmanageable workloads, information being withheld and impossible deadlines.
More than 30% of adult workers in the US and Canada are estimated to experience bullying, harassment and sexual abuse at work at any given time. The study said rates in academia could be more than twice as high, reaching 68% at some institutions.
The researchers said academic bullying could contribute to anxiety, depression, lower job satisfaction and reduced productivity. They also warned that it could damage relationships between students and faculty, affect the reputation of institutions and undermine the quality of education.
Calls for further research
The study’s authors said more research was needed to establish why bullying occurs and how it develops over time. Long-term studies could examine whether repeated pressure causes staff to lose trust in their institutions, leave their jobs or eventually give in to demands.
They also called for larger studies and interviews that would allow faculty members to describe their experiences in greater detail, alongside research testing which measures are effective across different types of college and university.
The researchers said tackling the problem would require higher standards of conduct from students, academics and senior administrators, backed by institutions willing to enforce respectful rules.
