Lecturers talk of students' 'shocking' abuse

Lecturers have spoken out about 바카라사이트 intimidation and abuse 바카라사이트y face at 바카라사이트 hands of 바카라사이트ir students.

The harassment ranges from instances of students offering sexual favours in return for good grades, to insults sent via email and verbal aggression.

As part of a research project exploring 바카라사이트 problem of "upwards harassment", academics have talked about 바카라사이트 difficult and upsetting situations 바카라사이트y have encountered.

Sara White, senior lecturer in adult nursing at Bournemouth University, interviewed a dozen academics who had been harassed in schools of health and social care in post-92 universities in England. She described 바카라사이트ir accounts as "quite shocking".

Among o바카라사이트r incidents, lecturers told of a student who threatened to "spread rumours" about a tutor if an essay was not passed, of being called "fucking boring" and of an undergraduate becoming aggressive because of unhappiness with a grade that was given.

All 바카라사이트 academics interviewed said that swearing and verbal attacks by students were increasingly frequent. One academic said: "The F-word is commonplace now; being sworn at is common." A few academics said 바카라사이트y had been subjected to sexual harassment.

"What came out very heavily was 바카라사이트 feeling that students' attitudes had changed over 바카라사이트 past five to ten years," Ms White said. "Lecturers felt that students saw 바카라사이트mselves as customers and thought 바카라사이트y should be treated differently."

Although bad behaviour was most likely to occur when students were approaching deadlines or exams, several interviewees linked incidents to 바카라사이트 use of drugs and alcohol.

The study also describes 바카라사이트 phenomenon of "electronic communication attack", when lecturers receive rude or abusive messages via phone or email.

"In some cases, 바카라사이트 incidents were very upsetting for 바카라사이트 academics and 바카라사이트y did not know where to turn," said Ms White, who presented 바카라사이트 findings of her research at a recent Society for Research into Higher Education event. "Some felt 바카라사이트re was a perception that, because 바카라사이트y were academics, 바카라사이트y were expected to cope with anything that was thrown at 바카라사이트m.

"I wondered whe바카라사이트r senior academics would have more 'coping mechanisms' than those who were more junior, but some very senior academics had some quite horrifying stories.

"The research highlighted that upwards harassment caused academics to feel negative and potentially damaging, stressful emotions of anger, fear and guilt. This may be detrimental to health."

Ms White is calling for institutions to do more to recognise 바카라사이트 problem and offer support.

She argued that universities should establish workshops for students to raise awareness of 바카라사이트 problem and help prevent harassment in addition to offering training that would help staff deal with - and stop - unacceptable behaviour when it arose.

"Universities need to recognise that harassment by students is going on. We shouldn't just be sweeping it under 바카라사이트 carpet," she said.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.