Publications
“A survivor’s guide to academic bullying”, Nature Human Behavior (2020)
And my last piece of advice: remind yourself that you are a target, not a victim. Just like targets of sexual harassment, you did nothing wrong to bring on this bad behaviour, and it is not your fault. It is important to remember that you got to your position by hard work and scientific talent. Have confidence to stand up to your bully—by finding allies, drawing on institutional resources and reclaiming your rights.
“Cuts and Bruises Caused by Arrows, Sticks, and Stones in Academia”, Adult Learning (2015)
Higher education perpetuates a sociocultural power imbalance wherein bullying is institutionally enabled as a way to discriminate and marginalize gay people of color”
“Research is set up for bullies to thrive”, Nature (2018)
Abusive supervisors often target specific individuals: some pick on their best workers, but poor performers are especially vulnerable. So are those who are different from their adviser, including in gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation”.
“Academic Bullies leave no trace”, BioImpacts (2019)
Reasons for unreported incidents of bullying include, but are not limited to:
- Feelings of insecurity among lab members about their positions and dependence on monthly paychecks
- Lack of robust and easy-to-access institutional protocols for reporting incidences
- Fear of being fired
- Fear of being treated unfairly
- Concerns over receiving substandard recommendations for future jobs
“Harassment should count as scientific misconduct”, Nature (2018)
In separate surveys of tens of thousands of university students across Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, upwards of 40% of respondents say that they have experienced sexual harassment. A survey last year by the US National Postdoctoral Association found that 28% of respondents reported experiencing at least one instance of harassment while they were trainees”.
“Faculty Experiences with Bullying in Higher Education”, Administrative Theory & Praxis (2010)
“Germany’s prestigious Max Planck Society conducts huge bullying survey”, Nature (2019)
