ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the impact that student-to-faculty targeted cyberbullying can have on faculty members. These findings were captured in a mixed-methods study conducted at one Canadian university in 2012. The study found that targeted faculty members experienced negative physical, emotional, relational, and occupational effects in the aftermath of being cyberbullied by students. The targeted faculty member later resigned from the university and relocated to another country. In terms of workplace safety for faculty, at the time of this study, the academic bullying literature reported that between 18% and 32% of post-secondary faculty members had been bullied. In addition to the emotional and physical effects discussed, this study found that cyberbullied faculty members predominantly encountered detrimental effects in their relationships with students (74%), followed by colleagues (37%), and Deans or administrators (37%). The negative impacts of cyberbullying reported in this study parallel former studies of workplace bullying, post-secondary bullying, and cyberbullying.
