When Fear Enters the Lab: Bullying, Power, and the Erosion of Scientific Integrity

Workplace bullying is increasingly recognized as a serious threat to employee health and organizational sustainability, yet in the United States it is still framed primarily as a legal or interpersonal issue rather than a public health concern. Drawing on survey data from 729 higher education professionals, this presentation examines workplace bullying as a chronic stressor with measurable consequences for physical, psychological, and relational well being. Findings demonstrate strong associations between bullying and insomnia, anxiety, depression, elevated blood pressure, increased substance use, and suicidal ideation, as well as diminished interest in physical intimacy and strained home relationships. Grounded in spillover theory, the session illustrates how unresolved workplace harm migrates beyond the job, disrupting family life, health behaviors, and long term wellness. Particular attention is given to the disproportionate burden experienced by women, people of color, and gender and sexual minorities, highlighting bullying as both a health equity and retention issue. The presentation also interrogates the normalization of self medication and the quiet reliance on pharmaceuticals as coping mechanisms within high stress work cultures. Participants will be invited to reframe bullying as a health harming workplace condition and to consider proactive wellness centered responses. Practical recommendations are offered for institutions seeking to move beyond individual resilience narratives toward prevention, accountability, and cultures of dignity that protect both people and productivity.