ABSTRACT
University lecturers need heightened awareness of the problem, and training in knowledge of its legal and social aspects and in confidence on how to address bullying when they encounter it, either directly or through referral on to relevant experts. The problem is endemic and extends from undergraduate students through masters and postgraduate programmes. The important role of student unions is also discussed, as is the value of peer support systems for empowering bystanders to challenge bullying when they encounter it on campus. Some individual students are more prone to be bullied through their previous experiences at school, which they bring with them to university. Maria Luca, from the perspective of a university counsellor, points out that the victims of sexual bullying often fear to tell anyone through shame and guilt about what happened to them. Studies of school and workplace bullying document the catastrophic impact that bullying can have on the mental health of those involved.
