The 21 Group is Launched

It is our birthday!

News article in The Times Higher Educational Supplement marks the launch of the 21 Group.

Bullies in universities inflict irreparable mental harm, all the while evading any form of accountability for their actions due to the casual acceptance of bullying by those in charge of UK universities.

If there really was ZERO tolerance to bullying in universities, then the 21 Group would be the ZERO Group.

The 21 Group aims to mobilise academics to fight bullying and to implement robust investigation procedures in universities. It is a grassroots organization.

Surveys routinely show bullying and harassment is rife in UK universities. But bullies are routinely exonerated by universities. Even if the bullying is so extreme that it imperils health and safety, then the behaviour is explained away as ‘ill-judged’ or ‘unbecoming’.

Too many universities prefer slogans to action, prefer tweets about ‘people strategies’ to safeguarding. 

Anti-bullying is not — and never should be — a fluffy and meaningless public relations strategy.