Abuse of power

"Abuse of power occurs when a person exploits their own (power) position for individual interests and harms other people in their professional environment. This can take the form of systematic bullying or individual power strategies" (Beaufaÿs 2022, p. 10). This is how Sandra Beaufaÿs, sociologist and member of the NRW Women's and Gender Studies Network, defines the term abuse of power.
Power is abused when it is exercised without justifiable reason. This can be done through gestures, verbally, psychologically or physically. Abuse of power can also occur in family or other private contexts. The structures in academia are conducive to abusive situations. The "Network against Abuse of Power in Science", for example, points out the common dependency relationships and considerable power imbalances between superiors and employees (Lassler & Täuber 2023, p. 1).
At the same time, it is noticeable that there are hardly any possibilities in science to sanction accused persons. For this reason, around 150 professors wrote an open letter to those responsible in ministries and university management in 2023:

The structures of the German academic system are an invitation to abuse power. [...] Because consequences are extremely rare, and cases of abuse of power in the academic system are only rarely pursued (whether internally or in court) (Ver.di 2023).

Civil service law in particular has proven to be an effective protection against abusive behavior. Against this background, the draft bill to amend the Higher Education Act NRW (HG NRW) attempts to introduce paragraphs that stipulate far-reaching consequences for breaches of honesty and security regulations. However, there are objections to these amendments under state constitutional law, so that a revision of the proposed sanction measures is necessary.

The issue abuse of power has been dealt with intensively at TU Dortmund University for several years. As early as 2022, the Rectorate adopted the policy on protection against discrimination and sexualized violence. This policy commits the university to taking active action against abuse of power and describes counseling options and complaints procedures at TU Dortmund University. The establishment of the Central Advice Centre for Protection against Discrimination and Sexualized Violence (SchuDS) was a direct consequence of the directive. By signing the LRK's voluntary commitment and the HRK 2023 resolution, TU Dortmund University reaffirmed its commitment to sensitizing employees and members to the issue of abuse of power and to establishing concepts for sanctions and comprehensive counseling and support services.
One example of prevention efforts is the supervision agreement adopted in 2023 as part of the principles of good doctoral supervision. It regulates the rights, obligations and distribution of tasks between doctoral candidates and supervisors. It is therefore an important instrument for preventing abuse of power.
In addition, the Rector founded the Abuse of Power Working Group, in which experts from research and teaching as well as contact persons from advice and contact points come together to exchange ideas and discuss possible solutions.

Help for members of TU Dortmund University who are affected by abuse of power is available at all counseling centers, from representatives and confidants as well as from the TU Dortmund University staff councils . The counseling services are free of charge. The ombudspersons for good academic practice are also a relevant point of contact for academics. They serve as contact persons for those seeking clarification on questions of good scientific practice or who wish to report a violation of the rules of good scientific practice - including abuse of power. The SchuDS can also be consulted in cases of abuse of power. Counseling is subject to confidentiality and can be conducted anonymously if desired. Further steps will only be taken with the consent of the person seeking advice.

Abuse of power should be recognized as a "structural problem of the current academic system", as the Max Planck PhDnet proposes in its 2018 position paper (Max Planck PhDnet 2018). However, it is also important and interesting to look at the connection between unequal gender relations and the abuse of power in scientific institutions.
According to the international UNI-Safe survey of 2022, over two thirds of female students and staff at universities have experienced gender-based violence (UniSAFE 2022). Sandra Beaufaÿs points out that science itself and its institutions were "built to the exclusion of 'women'" (Beaufaÿs 2022, p. 10). The fact that science is a "male" field is still evident today: for example, through the numerically superior number of professorships held by men at German universities (Beaufaÿs 2022, p. 10). Beaufaÿs problematizes the fact that women and TIN* persons (trans*, inter, non-binary people) are excluded from a rather male science on the basis of their gender and/or gender identity. Patriarchal thought patterns and hierarchies meant that women and TIN* persons "cannot be fully recognized as scientists" and "are always considered feminine and thus hierarchically inferior" (Beaufaÿs 2022, p. 10f). In addition, within patriarchal systems, women and TIN* persons are "classified as objects of heterosexual desire" (Beaufaÿs 2022, p. 11). This means that women and TIN* persons are at risk of (sexual) abuse of power in multiple senses because of their gender.