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Abstract
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Early-career researchers, and particularly those who come from under-represented groups in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), are susceptible to bullying. However, they can arm themselves with awareness and be prepared for abusive behaviour on the part of superiors within the academic hierarchy.
I was a target of academic bullying, but I am also a survivor. After I started writing on academic bullying1,2 and established a non-profit organization to increase awareness among stakeholders (https://paritymovement.org/), I was overwhelmed with email correspondence and phone calls from others who had been targeted or who had observed this phenomenon. Based on this correspondence and my own experience, I learned some key lessons that targets of academic bullying can employ to protect themselves and fight back.
First, try to document and record your interactions, including the abusive behaviour. This can be accomplished by saving emails, writing memos to document verbal conversations, or making sure to have conversations in the presence of a trusted ally.
Second, consult your institution's ombudsperson or mediation office. The professionals there, trained in dealing with harassment and bullying, will listen to your issue and offer guidance. Often they do not have the power to act on your behalf, but they can advise you on the best course of action.
One important piece of advice, after you speak up, is to insist that the institution provide a summary letter of their findings on your complaint case. With that in place, if any future employer has a question about what happened, you have evidence...
Language: en |