Bullying/Cyberbullying - IHE

Bullying at IHEs may be physical, verbal, or emotional. Verbal and emotional bullying often occurs as cyberbullying. Non-physical bullying can be especially difficult to recognize as it does not result in physical harm and the damage inflicted can be cumulative rather than immediate.

Similarly, students are not always the perpetrators of bullying. Faculty/staff who take advantage of their positions of power to ridicule, degrade, or exert dominance over students or fellow professors is also considered bullying. This type of bullying is often unreported, as students and untenured professors may fear repercussions that will affect their grades or positions at the IHE.

 

Hazing happens when a group inflicts dangerous, humiliating, or degrading behavior on a student or students, regardless of the students’ willingness to participate. Hazing is sometimes used as an initiation into a fraternity or sorority, athletic team, or campus organization. According to StopHazing.org, up to 55 percent of college students involved in clubs, teams, or organizations experienced hazing. Forty-four states have laws making hazing illegal, though reporting requirements and penalties vastly differ.

While IHEs are not required to report bullying, civil rights laws state that IHEs that receive federal funding must resolve incidents of discriminatory harassment on campus.

Additionally, if bullying (including cyberbullying and hazing) is based on gender or gender identity, it violates Title IX and can threaten an IHE’s ability to receive federal funding. IHEs should consult with their Title IX office or Title IX coordinator for how to address instances of bullying that are based on gender or gender identity.

 

American Psychological Association. (nd.) Bullying. Washington, DC: https://www.apa.org/topics/bullying

Morin, H. (nd.) Myth busting: Bullying on college campuses. University of San Francisco: https://myusf.usfca.edu/caps/bullying_on_college_campuses

StopBullying.gov. https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/laws/federal

Stop Hazing. https://stophazing.org/