Contrapower Harassment Research Articles

Exploring Organizational Processes that Enable Contrapower Harassment in Academia

Exploring Organizational Processes that Enable Contrapower Harassment in Academia

Navigating Contrapower Harassment in the Sport Classroom as Graduate Teaching Associates: A Collaborative Autoethnography

While teaching, many graduate teaching associates (GTAs) are exposed to contrapower harassment, as it is common in higher education. Contrapower harassment occurs when a person with more authority is harassed by a person with less authority. In the sport studies classroom, experiences of contrapower harassment are magnified for women, as they are underrepresented in this space. Man-dominated sport environments often see higher rates of harassment. Research has focused on women faculty experiences of harassment in the classroom yet neglected the experiences of women GTAs. This collaborative autoethnography focuses on the experiences of contrapower harassment for two women GTAs in a sport studies department. Collaborative autoethnography allowed the researchers to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, in the context of the sport studies classroom, through a combination of self and collective analysis. Interwoven throughout our myriad experiences was the expression of uncertainty in the face of contrapower harassment. This highlighted the need for additional training opportunities for women GTAs to navigate contrapower harassment in their classrooms.

Contrapower Harassment in Paramedicine: Experiences of Academic Staff in Australian Universities

Background Although bullying and harassment among academic staff has been well researched, research on students bullying and harassing academic teaching staff (ie, contrapower harassment) is less common. Contrapower harassment has been on the rise in academia over the last decade, partly attributable to changes in the student-faculty staff relationship. This study aimed to understand better the extent and impact of students’ contrapower harassment on paramedic academic teaching staff within Australian universities, as well as actions and interventions to address it. Methods This study used a two-phase mixed methods design. In phase 1, a convenience sample of paramedic teaching academics from 12 universities in Australia participated in an online questionnaire. In phase 2, an in-depth interview was conducted with nine participants from phase 1. Results Seventy-six academic teaching staff participated in the study. Survey results showed that most academics surveyed had experienced harassment from paramedic students, with the highest incidence of harassment occurring during student assessment periods. Alarmingly, over 30% of the academics surveyed had been ‘stalked’ by a student and over 50% had felt powerless and helpless when students had attacked them on social media. Problematic students were identified as those who presented with an over-inflated sense of entitlement or with psychological states and traits that find it challenging to accept feedback and failure, and look to externalise their failures. Reasons for increases in contrapower harassment included a complex mix of consumer and demand-driven education, on-demand (and demanding) instant gratification and degree self-entitlement, and an increase in social media and online learning (particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020). Conclusion Although most of the academics in this study experienced contrapower harassment by students, they also report that most students are level-headed and supportive, and do not carry out this type of harassment. Promoting student professionalism and reassessing student evaluations are starting points for addressing this type of harassment. Further research on the broader systemic issues that influence the contributors to contrapower harassment is needed.

Academic contrapower sexual harassment in public universities in Zimbabwe

Sexual harassment in the workplace, including the university, is not a behaviour perceived to be perpetrated only by males. In this article contrapower sexual harassment was investigated to find out whether female students harassed male lecturers at universities, and how harassment manifests with a view to devising measures to mitigate such harassment incidences. A qualitative case study research design was employed to explore the thoughts and experiences of participants at two public universities in Zimbabwe. Purposive sampling was employed in the identification and selection of participants with knowledge and experience of subjecting male lecturers to contrapower sexual harassment. Data were gathered through audio-taped face to face in-depth interviews with female undergraduates using a digital voice recorder. As data were collected through interviews, an iterative process was done. The study verified the existence of contrapower sexual harassment of male lecturers by female students. The study found that the measures that can be taken to mitigate contrapower harassment should include the explicit identification of all behaviours that constitute harassment and their consequences in university codes of conduct and policies. Universities should build a culture of respect in which students and lecturers interact without fear of harassment from either party. Universities need to ensure that lecturers are informed of the available resources should they have disturbing experiences pertaining to harassment from a student.

Academic contrapower sexual harassment in public universities in Zimbabwe

Sexual harassment in the workplace, including the university, is not a behaviour perceived to be perpetrated only by males. In this article contrapower sexual harassment was investigated to find out whether female students harassed male lecturers at universities, and how harassment manifests with a view to devising measures to mitigate such harassment incidences. A qualitative case study research design was employed to explore the thoughts and experiences of participants at two public universities in Zimbabwe. Purposive sampling was employed in the identification and selection of participants with knowledge and experience of subjecting male lecturers to contrapower sexual harassment. Data were gathered through audio-taped face to face in-depth interviews with female undergraduates using a digital voice recorder. As data were collected through interviews, an iterative process was done. The study verified the existence of contrapower sexual harassment of male lecturers by female students. The study found that the measures that can be taken to mitigate contrapower harassment should include the explicit identification of all behaviours that constitute harassment and their consequences in university codes of conduct and policies. Universities should build a culture of respect in which students and lecturers interact without fear of harassment from either party. Universities need to ensure that lecturers are informed of the available resources should they have disturbing experiences pertaining to harassment from a student.

“I’ve had horrible things said about me”: An inductive content analysis of nursing academic experiences of contra-power harassment from undergraduate nursing students

AimThe aim of this study was to describe the experiences of nursing academics exposure to contra-power harassment by under-graduate nursing students. BackgroundContra-power harassment by nursing students is a growing phenomenon which is defined as the harassment of those ni formal positions of power by those who are not. Harassing behaviours can include verbal, physical and sexual and digital harassment through mediums such as social media. Cited behaviours perpetrated by under-graduate nursing students are often experienced after the release of grades. DesignA self-administered online questionnaire was used to elicit responses to four open-ended questions regarding nursing academics experiences of contra-power harassment and nursing student incivility. MethodInductive content analysis was used to identify text patterns from the academic comments. Each of comments was read through to get a sense of the whole. Re-reading the comments allowed for open coding into broad headings which described a specified meaning. Categorising the broad headings into higher order sub-categories then made it permissible to record comments that belonged to a particular group. The development of the main category using abstraction was first undertaken by creating generic categories from the sub-categories using content-characteristic words. The development of the broad and sub-categories were assessed independently by two of the authors and after discussion, agreement was reached as to the structure of the generic categories. ResultsA total of 159 comments received from 82 nursing academics each describing incidents of contra-power harassment. Nursing academics were faced with several differing behaviours that were seen as aggressive, anger, manipulation and threats. These were viewed as both verbal and isolation attacks In all, four generic categories were identified – Experiencing Harassment; You’re Adding to My Stress; Being Set-up to Fail; Feeling Unsafe Professionally and Academically. Nursing academics describe experiencing the behaviours of contra-power harassment as being distressing, disturbing, frustrating, saddening and disappointing. ConclusionThe behaviours expressed by nursing students tended to occur at the release of grades. Most academics were concerned for their own safety both emotionally and physically because of the unpredictability of student behaviour. Most academics understood the pressures nursing students faced, especially the international students. However, they were often challenged by the need to support student learning and maintaining professional standards of behaviour.

Incivility from Undergraduate Nursing Students in the United Kingdom

There is growing evidence that under-graduate nursing students are demonstrating inappropriate and uncivil behaviour towards academics which is also reported as harassment and contra-power harassment. Harassment is unwanted behaviour which an individual finds offensive or which makes them feel intimidated or humiliated and unwanted behaviours include verbal or written words of abuse such as offensive emails, comments on social media network sites, stalking and sexually motivated behaviours. Contra-power harassment is defined as the harassment of individuals in formal positions of power and authority by those that are not. One of the most cited reasons for inappropriate behaviour by undergraduate students is related to grading of course work and course progression, but literature relating to what extent this is occurring towards nurse academics is nominal.

Academic Contrapower Harassment and Student Evaluations: The Gendered Experience of Bullying, Intimidation, and Entitlement

Student evaluations are subjective and oftentimes arbitrary, skewed by stereotypes students have of the professor rather than the actual merit of the instructional style. Yet student evaluations are frequently necessary for promotion and tenure requirements regardless of known gender bias. As such, student evaluations have the potential to foster a culture of academic contrapower harassment (ACPH). A convenience sample of 150 professors and instructors (41.3% male, 56.7%, female, and 2% declined to specify) from two separate liberal arts colleges were surveyed to explore the gendered differences of perceived bullying of professors by students on anonymous student evaluations. Using Pearson’s chi-square test for independence (categorical variables), results support differences in the psychological consequences of student evaluations between male and female faculty but fail to confirm instances of ACPH.

Is it Resolved? One Story of Academic Contrapower Harassment and Cyberbullying

Is it Resolved? One Story of Academic Contrapower Harassment and Cyberbullying

Is it Resolved? One Story of Academic Contrapower Harassment and Cyberbullying

Is it Resolved? One Story of Academic Contrapower Harassment and Cyberbullying

Nurse academics' experience of contra-power harassment from under-graduate nursing students in Australia

BackgroundThere is growing concern around inappropriate behaviour being perpetrated by under-graduate nursing students towards nursing academics. Coined contra-power harassment, is defined as the harassment of individuals in formal positions of power and authority by those that are not. The type of harassment behaviours reported include: verbal and physical violence, character assassination through social media, stalking and sexually motivated behaviours. The most often cited reasons for the escalation in these behaviours are seen with course progression and the awarding of grades. AimThe aim of this study is to better understand the extent to which nursing academics experience contra-power harassment from under-graduate nursing students. MethodA convenience sample of nursing academics were in Australia were contacted and provided with an introductory letter, a participant information sheet and a link to an online questionnaire. A 41-item Likert scale (Strongly agree-strongly disagree) was used to elicit responses to statements on academics' experiences of and the contributing factors associated with contra-power harassment. ResultsThe main contributing factor identified from this study was seen as the consumerism of higher education; in particular paying for a degree gave a sense of entitlement with academics experiencing the highest levels of student harassment around grades. ConclusionsContra-power harassment is becoming common place in higher education especially in nursing education. The competitive nature of obtaining employment post-university has meant that some nursing student's behaviours are becoming increasingly uncivil, challenging and unprofessional.

Microaggressions in Clinical Training and Practice.

Microaggressions in Clinical Training and Practice.

Contrapower Harassment: An Unanticipated Experience in Academia

This essay discusses my personal experience with sexual harassment perpetrated by a student. Also, discussed are the professional and personal consequences attached to sexual harassment experiences where the victim has more formal power than the abuser.

Experiences of Gender-Based Violence at a South African University: Prevalence and Effect on Rape Myth Acceptance.

Instances of gender-based violence (GBV) on university campuses are rarely reported to the authorities. This makes it difficult to gauge the prevalence of this problem, which in turn affects efforts for prevention. This article describes a university-wide online survey aimed at assessing, first, the prevalence of GBV experienced by the three sectors in the community-students, academic and research staff, and professional/administrative staff. Many of the findings concurred with research elsewhere-students were the predominant victims of GBV; men were the main perpetrators; and instances of rape occurred mainly when the victim/survivor was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In contrast to some of the more well-known U.S. surveys (e.g., Georgetown University), we found relatively few instances of students being exploited by staff members. Occurrences of contrapower harassment were also reported in our survey. The second aim investigated whether rape myth acceptance was related to experiences of GBV. We found that women who had these experiences were more rejecting of rape myths than women who had not had such experiences. The opposite was found for White men. White men who had experienced GBV were more accepting of the rape myths than those who had not had such experiences. It was suggested that this reflected a need for these male victims to establish their hegemonic masculine identity. In general, the level of rape myth acceptance was relatively low. This suggested that widespread victim-blame, and self-blame does not account for the low levels of GBV reports to officials. A limitation of the study was the relatively low response rate (1,350 respondents), which was likely caused by the student protests over university fees that were ongoing at the time of the survey. These protests caused considerable disturbance for all sectors of the university community.

Contrapower Harassment in the Sport Management Classroom

Sexual harassment and incivility in the workplace are the unwanted sexual attention and bullying of employees by their superior. There are times, however, when the roles are reversed and the superior is the target of such behavior. Contrapower harassment refers to subordinate incivility and/or sexual attention directed toward a superior. The focus of this study was in the higher education classroom, more specifically the male-dominated sport management classroom. More than 90% of female faculty have reported experiencing acts of incivility, and 25% have experienced at least one act of sexual behavior shown toward them by a student (Lampman, 2012). This study explored the issue of contrapower harassment in the sport management classroom through semi-structured interviews with 10 female sport management faculty members. Contrapower harassment was described by all but one respondent based on each individual’s lived experiences. These incidents occurred in the form of verbal or written comments and in physical actions. Strategies to manage the issue include addressing contrapower at orientation sessions and in-class content as well as the implementation of a zero tolerance policy toward sexual behavior in the classroom.

Women Don’t Know Anything About Sports: Contrapower Harassment in the Sport Management Classroom

Contrapower harassment occurs when a person in a position of authority (e.g., faculty member) experiences incivility or sexual harassment from a subordinate (e.g., student). Sport has long been considered a male domain, and this is true in the sport management academic setting as well. This creates an environment where contrapower harassment can occur. This research examined the prevalence of contrapower harassment in the sport management classroom as well as strategies to negotiate it if it occurs. A questionnaire was completed by 179 female faculty members teaching in the sport management field. More than half of the respondents indicated they were treated differently because of their gender, and more than 80% indicated they had faced incidents of incivility in the classroom. Respondents indicated they negotiated the instances by attempting to make the incident a teaching tool and by immediately addressing the instance. Contrapower harassment is prevalent in the sport management classroom, and faculty n...

Bullying in the academy: understanding the student bully and the targeted ‘stupid, fat, mother fucker’ professor

ABSTRACTBullying within academia often focuses on peer bullying or the student victim. However, the student bully who targets professors is a neglected area of study yet just as destructive, demeaning, and intimidating. Using a narrative lens analysis, the researchers share how the story of bullying unfolds in the classroom. Distinct triggers, such as entitlement or expectation management, mark the beginning of the narrative. As the narrative progresses, students display a variety of aggressive behaviors in an attempt to establish power or dominance over the targeted professor. The resulting academic contrapower harassment (ACPH) display may negatively impact the professor psyche, learning environment, and overall level of satisfaction with the professoriate, leaving a potentially open-ended narrative that impacts targeted professors for years to come. Thematic analysis reveals shared themes among targeted professors, indicating bullying is problematic on multiple levels. The findings suggest a lack of formal training and education while reinforcing the importance of peer networks.

Women Faculty Distressed: Descriptions and Consequences of Academic Contrapower Harassment

Academic contrapower harassment (ACPH) occurs when someone with seemingly less power in an educational setting (e.g., a student) harasses someone more powerful (e.g., a professor). A representative sample of 289 professors from U.S. institutions of higher education described their worst incident with ACPH. Open-ended responses were coded using a keyword text analysis. Compared to the experiences of men faculty, women faculty reported that students were more likely to challenge their authority, argue or refuse to follow course policies, and exhibit disrespectful or disruptive behaviors. Although sexual harassment was uncommon, men faculty were more likely than women faculty to recount such incidents. Women faculty reported significantly more negative outcomes as a result of ACPH (e.g., anxiety, stress-related illness, difficulty concentrating, wanting to quit) than men faculty, and negative outcomes were most likely to result from ACPH involving intimidation, threats, or bullying from students. Implications for the prevention and reporting of ACPH are discussed.

Sexual Harassment: The Nexus Between Gender and Workplace Authority: Evidence from the Australian Public Service

Sexual harassment in the workplace is commonly portrayed as the male supervisor harassing female subordinates. Within this popular characterization, the unequal distribution of formal, organizational power is believed to be a necessary precondition for sexual harassment. The traditional cultural image of harassers and targets has however not kept pace with changing workplace realities. Research has indeed found that female supervisors may in fact be more likely to be subjects of sexual harassment. This article uses survey data from the Australian Public Service to explore this kind of contrapower harassment. Results indicate that a strong link between gender, workplace authority, and sexual harassment exists, but also that this relationship is strongly influenced by age.

Faith-Based Organizations: Sexual Harassment and Health in Accra-Tema Metropolis

Sexual harassment occurs frequently in many faith-based organizations (FBOs). This study investigated whether sexual harassment in FBOs was a public health concern in Ghana. A cross-sectional exploratory approach was used to assess the prevalence and incidence of traditional or contrapower sexual harassment in FBOs. We also investigated the correlation between sexual harassment and health. Respondents completed a self-administered open-ended questionnaire in an anonymous survey about sexual harassment during the 12 months preceding the study. We hypothesized that both traditional and contrapower harassment were prevalent in FBOs of Ghana and also that the health effects were the same for both sexes in both forms of harassment. The two hypotheses were generally supported. We found that sexual harassment is a public health concern. Women were more likely to be sexually harassed (73%) than men were (27%). Sexual harassment negatively affects the victims’ health outcome. Secondly, both the traditional and contrapower forms of sexual harassment were prevalent in FBOs in Ghana. The health consequences of sexual harassment in Ghana are the same as in an industrialized country. The implications for policy and research are discussed.