Eradicate Bullying in the Academic World
Bullying is present everywhere in this world. Several people go through this during school days, sometimes even in college. But it seems strange when people become the victims of bullying in higher studies, such as research fields. It is not just ignorant; it shows how insensible people can be even after reaching a certain level of educational refinement. Numerous people go through this issue and get harassed daily in their workplace. Sometimes the surrounding gets so toxic that researchers can not focus on their work anymore and eventually quit. It is not something to be taken lightly; if someone getting bullied thinks the bullies will ultimately stop if they do not react, they are wrong. The only option is standing up for yourself and others and destroying it from the roots. Here are some ways to handle bullying:
- Check Your Behaviour: We often hurt people without even realizing it. Everyone is fighting a battle of their own; various people have various insecurities. It is human nature to judge ourselves for anything: our intelligence, body, face, height, weight, career, family, etc. Therefore, there is a high chance that one of our jokes will cause significant damage to another individual. Sometimes we say things we do not mean, but the targeted person will probably think about that for days, and it will make them even more insecure than before. That is why we should always check our actions first because charity begins at home.
- Take a Stand for Others: Bullying is one of the highest forms of abuse, and not everyone has the guts to act against it. So, when you find someone being bullied or harassed, please help them. If you find them hesitating to take legal action, make them understand why it is necessary. It is normal if they do not trust you first because their experience in that place is not good. In these situations, comfort them first. Be their friend. After a certain point, when they feel comfortable around you, you can nudge them to take a stand against bullying.
- Company Policies: An institution should be comfortable to work in. Comfortable both physically and psychologically. Only a peaceful environment can bring out the best works in the people. No one deserves to go to work and get harassed and bullied by co-workers and superiors. To stop bullying, every institution and every company must have policies. There must be policies to handle abuse so that everyone can work peacefully and reach their goals. Research is already difficult, and making it more difficult with all these issues would be unfair.
- Stand against Sabotage: Sabotage can be of two types- physical sabotage and career sabotage. Physical sabotage does not mean causing physical damage to someone by hitting them. Imagine your superior is making you work on something that has nothing to do with your research, or your superior is making you waste your time and effort on an experiment that has already been perfected; it can be called physical sabotage. Career sabotage is even worse. Ganging up against a particular person because their opinions and ideals differ, not promoting someone over personal grudges- all of these can be categorized under career sabotage. Based on these, several researchers have requested institutions to make policies against bullying and harassment.
You are bound to have a lot of pressure when you are in academia. You have deadlines to finish your work, publish your thesis, and so on. All of these need mental peace. Adjusting to people’s banter and laughing at silly jokes that are targeted toward you is not peaceful. It will not stop others from harassing you. No, you are not a “spoilsport” if you stand up for yourself. No, they were not “just kidding.” If not putting up with insults makes you less liked among people, be less liked. Peace should never be compromised for anything. Remember what Kurt Cobain said: “I’d rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not.”
