{"id":120126,"date":"2020-11-24T12:18:47","date_gmt":"2020-11-24T11:18:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=120126"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:15","slug":"almost-all-female-researchers-experience-forms-of-transgressive-behaviour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/11\/24\/almost-all-female-researchers-experience-forms-of-transgressive-behaviour\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Almost all female researchers experience forms of transgressive behaviour’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our standards are changing when it comes to transgressive behaviour in the workplace. But not fast enough, says university professor Naomi Ellemers, chair of the KNAW committee that will advise on undesirable behaviour in science.<\/p>\n

Bullying, abuse of power, sexual harassment: many researchers have to deal with undesirable behaviour over the course of their careers. Trade unions have been calling attention<\/a> to this lack of social safety for years and the Dutch Network of Women Professors also sounded the alarm last year.<\/p>\n

Minister Van Engelshoven recently concluded<\/a> that there\u2019s still a long way to go and asked the KNAW for advice on how to prevent misconduct in academia.<\/p>\n

Still lost<\/h2>
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UU Professor Naomi Ellemers<\/span><\/p>

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Because unfortunately, the lack of social safety in the world of science remains a relevant issue. Last week Ad Valvas <\/em>reported<\/a> on harassment and deception in the psychology department at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The problems in this department led to burnout for a number of staff members, and some had to seek psychological support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis shows that we\u2019re still lost when it comes to dealing with this kind of behaviour\u201d, says Utrecht University professor Naomi Ellemers, chair<\/a> of the newly appointed KNAW advisory committee. \u201cEveryone wants things to go well, and there are all kinds of guidelines. So why do we keep hearing these stories?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ellemers is a social and organisational psychologist and one of the founders of the Athena\u2019s Angels<\/a> action group. A lot of research into misconduct in the workplace is currently taking place in her field. \u201cThis kind of behaviour has far-reaching consequences, not only for victims, but also for their colleagues in the department\u201d, Ellemers says. \u201cThey lose confidence in the organisation if they see this happening over and over again, with no action being taken.\u201d<\/p>\n

But researchers keep finding out more about the circumstances that facilitate and perpetuate transgressive behaviour, Ellemers explains. \u201cThat means we have a growing knowledge of what to look out for if we want to prevent misconduct. It would be great if we could use that knowledge to develop concrete measures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clean slate<\/h2>

Academia is a special professional community, Ellemers believes. \u201cIt\u2019s an international network, but at the same time it\u2019s a very small world \u2013 especially in certain fields. So you might find yourself running into the same people throughout your whole career.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that includes people in important positions, who review publications, fill vacancies and write letters of recommendation. That can lead to power imbalances, says Ellemers. \u201cIf someone in a high-powered position doesn\u2019t like your work, or if you have a conflict with someone, you can suffer the consequences of that for a very long time. You can\u2019t just say: I\u2019m going to leave and start over somewhere else with a clean slate, and then I\u2019ll never have to meet this person again. That makes it incredibly hard for people to speak up if they are being mistreated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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