Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 44,320
Likes: 6,606
From: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
I disagree with 2manybikes 90%. It's not a big problem that it shifts when backpedaling, but it does indicate something is wrong. There's nothing wrong with backpedaling. Bikes are designed for it.
The derailleur is not aligned. Make sure the jockey wheels and the rear sprockets are in parallel planes. Bend the hanger to straighten the derailleur, or have your local bike shop mechanic do it for you. There's a specialized tool for this, and it costs about $85.