An Autoethnography of Bullying and University Climate: A University Student’s Lived Experiences

Bullying remains a salient issue facing university students, necessitating continued research from diverse methodological lenses. This autoethnographic study explores bullying and climate issues from an insider student perspective. The researcher leverages their personal experiences with bullying victimisation and witnessing as current university students. Through reflective writing, they provide detailed first-person accounts of specific bullying events and perceptions of the broader campus climate. Qualitative analysis of these emotive narratives reveals key themes around the persistence of bullying behaviours, complex bystander dynamics, unsupportive institutional responses, and protective factors like inclusive climate and student empowerment that could be expanded upon. While limited in generalizability, the findings demonstrate autoethnography's potential for generating nuanced, experiential insights on bullying complementing traditional prevalence data. Practical implications highlight opportunities for anti-bullying education, policy improvements, youth-adult partnership, and further research centred on student voices.