Have you ever heard about educational sabotage? Most probably not. Educational sabotage is a form of intimate partner violence that is used by one of the partners to dominate and control the other partner affecting educational achievement.
A new study conducted by Rachel Voth Schrag, assistant professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Arlington, found that educational sabotage could impact the emotional or mental health and often leads to poor academic achievement.
It also involves the coercive use of power through the use of various tactics like blocking financial aid, inducing guilt related to academic efforts that have the potential to affect the successful completion of educational programs.
The survivors were found to have an increased desire to overcome such obstacles.
Voth Schrag suggests that for survivors pursuing higher education could be pivotal in breaking out of tactics experienced during intimate partner violence (IPV).
“By understanding, addressing, and preventing school sabotage, scholars, institutions of higher education, and their community partners have an opportunity to make an important contribution to the well-being and safety of students,” Voth Schrag said.
Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data suggest IPCV as a factor in 16.5 percent of all homicides.
The University of Texas Arlington offers different resources for students including the Crime Victim Services program and Relationship Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention program.
These resources address intimate partner violence (IPV) including educational sabotage through assistance, support, crisis counseling, medical accompaniment, promoting education and awareness of sexual assaults, relationship violence, stalking among others.