Bullying in schools – Members of Staff as Perpetrators


 
Much research has been done on bullying in schools. This research has mainly focused on students as perpetrators of bullying against each other. Some research, however, has also been done on bullying in organisations. Definitions of bullying focus on the actions and intent of the bully or bullies which are always negative. Definitions also focus on the repetitive nature of the negative actions perpetrated by the bully or bullies on their victims. The definitions of bullying also emphasise that bullying can be direct such as physical assault on the victims but it can also be indirect such as the spread of gossip.

Bullying is a form of intimidation of others by those who possess various types of “power”. This could be power in the form of physical strength; it may be power in the form of the possession of resources whether money, desirable group affiliations or any other desired resource. Acts of bullying are perpetrated for a number of reasons, some incomprehensible. But, oftentimes, the bully or bullies basically want to establish and or maintain their power position in the eyes of the bullied.

While much attention in the research has been focused on students bullying each other, I have not found any that specifically deals with the bullying of staff by other staff members in schools. Probably research exists on this issue and I leave those interested to go seek out the research. I am writing from my observation of this phenomenon in a number of schools.

Within the school, there is continuing interaction between and among staff occupying different roles in the school: interactions between and among principal and all levels of staff; interactions between and among members of faculty; interactions between and among members of faculty and administrative and ancillary staff. This interaction is vertical, horizontal and lateral and going in all directions.

It is fair to assume that if these interactions are cordial the morale of staff will be high. Therefore, staff will not mind going beyond the call of duty, if necessary. But if members of staff perceive that they are being victimised their morale will be negatively impacted which, in turn, may impact their commitment to the organisation. And this may, in turn, negatively impact the performance of the staff which may also negatively impact the performance of the organisation as a whole.

Anecdotal evidence of this bullying among staff in schools takes several forms. First, imagine a principal who forbids faculty from expressing opinions in staff meetings and expects them to listen and to do what they are told. This is an example of undemocratic leadership which escapes into bullying when the principal decides to redeploy members of faculty who defy him/her to teach in areas outside their competence. Or, the principal who consciously decides to overlook eminently qualified and responsible persons for promotion to senior positions as punishment for some perceived act of defiance that they had committed in the organisation. Or, the principal who has an aversion to the secretary which she has inherited and takes every opportunity to publicly vilify her.

Second, some members of faculty are also guilty of bullying. Oftentimes, these bullies are seemingly extroverts. They are loud and overbearing in their attitudes. They like to be in control. They want or have positions of leadership in the organisation. Those who have positions of leadership in the organisation take every opportunity to highlight to the public superficial weaknesses of those they lead. Others who do not yet lead but aspire to positions of leadership resort to gossip to malign the character of those they see as their main rivals. And, sometimes, both tactics - publicly humiliating others and gossiping  - are used by both groups, those who hold positions of leadership and those who aspire to positions of leadership to get their way.

These negative actions, taken by members of staff in schools against each other are examples of bullying – actions repeatedly taken to intimidate others in order to ensure that others are subject to their will so that they (bullies) can maintain or establish their position of unrivalled power in the organisation. These acts of bullying, among others, that some members of staff of schools resort to put pressure on the victims. This results in some members of staff being “forced” out of the organisation while others remain, too stressed by the bullying to be effective. Of course, not all victims remain passive. Some fight back. And this leaves the organisation in a constant state of war.

 

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