Cuts and Bruises Caused by Arrows, Sticks, and Stones in Academia

Bullying is a serious problem in contemporary society because it negatively affects not only people who are victims of bullying and bystanders but also organizations and workplaces. It occurs almost everywhere including K-12 education, postsecondary education, and workplaces. Based on the author’s narrative study, this article explores and theorizes three types of adult bullying in higher education from the academic experiences of 19 gay male faculty of color. The data were collected via in-depth individual interviews using a semi-structured interview guide, transcribed, and analyzed. The data revealed three types of bullying: (a) positional bullying, (b) counter-positional bullying, and (c) unintentional conspirative positional bullying. This article will provide a snapshot of each type of bullying through participant narratives and discuss the implications for higher and adult education in the pursuit of diversity and social justice.