Moral harassment among professors in a public university in Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To identify the existence of moral harassment (SA) among professors in a public university in Brazil. Methods: This was a quantitative, descriptive and sectional research; the sample consisted of 54 professors (62.8%) who answered questions about moral harassment at work. Results: Most were women (92.6%), between 40 and 59 years (72.2%), working at the institution less than 15 years (61.1), 40.7% admitted being victims of SA at work, 59.3% knew the fellow who had suffered SA and 70.4% stated that it is a common problem in the institution. The cases described participation of: chiefs, superiors, peers, teachers and advisers. Conclusion: Universities are places where there is competition for positions and for research/publication resources, which facilitates the occurrence of this phenomenon. The individualities must be overcome with ethical values such as equity and solidarity to avoid the happening of moral harassment.