Bullying in the University Educational Environment: Causes and Consequences

Abstract

The article presents the results of a theoretical analysis of scientific works on the problem of bullying in higher education institutions. The study aimed to summarize, systematize, and describe the main causes and consequences of bullying in the university environment. The work uses a set of theoretical methods (comparison, contrast, analysis, generalization, systematization of empirical research data) to identify the symptoms, manifestations, various types of causes, and consequences of bullying in higher education institutions. The study found that characteristics of the university environment, such as hierarchy, competition, and marginalization of certain social groups in university communities due to gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, provoke bullying at various levels of interaction between participants in the educational process: between students, between students and teachers, and between students and representatives of the institution's administration. Bullying in higher education negatively affects the academic achievements and success of students, causes high levels of insecurity, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and dissatisfaction with life, provokes the appearance of painful physical and mental symptoms in young people, and has a destructive effect on the overall climate and atmosphere in the institution. Concealing the facts of bullying leads many young people to lose sight of the value of higher education. The main groups of factors that provoke bullying in the university environment have been identified: psychological (low self-esteem of students; previous experience of aggressive behavior; underdeveloped social and emotional skills; psychological trauma of the aggressor, manifested in envy of the victim of bullying) and social (group dynamics; characteristics of university culture; social inequality). Based on the recommendations of anti-bullying researchers, it has been concluded that in order to effectively prevent bullying in higher education institutions, a special anti-bullying policy should be developed, based on disciplinary, comprehensive, systematic, and restorative approaches, and diverse educational work should be carried out to inform about the causes, forms, consequences of bullying, and the legal responsibility for committing it. It is useful to have systematic work between higher education students and a psychologist, to conduct training sessions, including for representatives of the educational institution's administration, to apply disciplinary methods of punishment for bullying, and to develop mechanisms for confidential reporting of bullying.