Bullying

What is Bullying?

Bullying is defined by the University as repeated mistreatment of an individual(s) by verbal abuse, threatening, intimidating, humiliating conduct or sabotage that creates or promotes an adverse and counterproductive environment, so as to interfere with or undermine legitimate University learning, teaching, and/or operations. 

Bullying is not   about occasional differences of opinion, conflicts and problems in workplace relationships as these may be part of working life. Bullying can adversely affect dignity, health, and productivity and may be grounds for corrective disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.  

Types of Bullying

Examples of behaviors that meet the definition of bullying above include, but are not limited to:

  • Physical Bullying

    • Physical bullying is pushing, shoving, kicking, poking, and/or tripping; assault or threat of physical assault; damage to a person’s work area or property; damage to or destruction of a person’s work product.

  • Verbal Bullying

    • Verbal bullying is repeated slandering, ridiculing, or maligning of a person or persons, addressing abusive and offensive remarks to a person or persons in a sustained or repeated manner; or shouting at others in public and/or in private where such conduct is so severe or pervasive as to cause or create a hostile or offensive educational or working environment or unreasonably interfere with the person’s work or school performance or participation.

  • Nonverbal Bullying

    • Nonverbal bullying can consist of directing threatening gestures toward a person or persons or invading personal space after being asked to move or step away.

  • Anonymous Bullying

    • Anonymous bullying can consist of withholding or disguising identity while treating a person in a malicious manner, sending insulting or threatening anonymous messages, placing objectionable objects among a person’s belongings, leaving degrading written or pictorial material about a person where others can see.

  • Threatening Behavior Toward a Person's Job or Well-Being

    • Making threats, either explicit or implicit to the security of a person’s job, position, or personal well-being can be bullying.  It is not bullying behavior for a supervisor to note an employee’s poor job performance and potential consequences within the framework of University policies and procedures, or for a professor or academic program director to advise a student of unsatisfactory academic work and the potential for course failure or dismissal from the program if uncorrected.

UNM Policies and Sanctions

        The University of New Mexico's Respectful Campus 
policy and Equal Opportunity, Non-Discrimination, and Affirmative Action
       policy, which apply to the main campus and all branch campuses and educational centers, forbid unlawful discrimination and/or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, ancestry, spousal affiliation, medical condition, or veteran status.
     

A person who is the victim of an incident of bullying committed by a UNM student or a visitor to the University is encouraged to report to the Dean of Students Office or the LoboRESPECT Advocacy Center.

The University of New Mexico is committed to providing equal access to educational and employment opportunities for all individuals. The university considers the following protected statuses

    • Age 
    • Ancestry 
    • Color 
    • Ethnicity
    • Gender identity
    • Gender/sex
    • Genetic information
    • Medical condition
    • National origin
    • Physical or mental disability
    • Pregnancy
    • Race
    • Religion
    • Sexual preference
    • Spousal affiliation
    • Veteran status

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