has also increased – this is thought to be likely due to legislation , in which there is an improved acceptance that this harmful behaviour is occurring in the workplace . 4 Consequently , it seems that bullying is not a childhood-specific phenomenon . This poses the question : what factors are facilitating this aggressive behaviour to transpose to other areas of life ? If bullying is occurring in school and the workplace , the occurrences need to be investigated in environments previously assumed to be neutral , such as university . This paper will outline the research on bullying within Higher Education ( HE ) thus far .
Stability of Bullying Roles
One might expect that bullying is a non-entity in the intellectually-driven , noncompulsory institutions of HE , but the stable roles theory suggests otherwise . This theory finds that within bullying interactions , those classed as ‘ victims ’ may have a different characterological profile to those classed as ‘ bullies ’. 5 These profiles may govern individuals regardless of the context : whether home , school , work or , inevitably , HE . The stability of roles across time and contexts indicates an increased likelihood that individual factors have a portion of the responsibility for bullying . The findings of Mark Chapell and colleagues enabled them to make a conclusive statement that bullying ‘ graduates to college ’. 6 They found positive correlations between being a bully in school and college , and between being a victim in school and college . 7 Further , Lindsey Leenars and Christina Rinaldi evidence that aggression , too , continues past high school and into college , 8 and Cynthia Brock and
4 Ken Rigby , “ Bullying at School and in the Workplace ,” in Bullying : From Backyard to Boardroom , ed . Paul McCarthy et al . ( Sydney : Federation Press , 2001 ). 5 Peter K . Smith , Understanding School Bullying : Its Nature and Prevention Strategies ( London : Sage ,
2014 ). 6 Mark Chapell et al ., “ Bullying in College by Students and Teachers ,” Adolescence 39 ( 153 ) ( 2004 ): 53 . 7 Mark Chapell et al ., “ Bullying in Elementary School , High School , and College ,” Adolescence 41 ( 164 ) ( 2006 ): 633 . 8 Lindsey Leenaars and Christina Rinaldi , “ Male and Female University Students ’ Experiences of Indirect Aggression ,” Canadian Journal of School Psychology 25 ( 1 ) ( 2010 ): 131 .
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