School Issues: When a Teacher is Bullied by Another Colleague

Is a teacher being bullied or cyber-bullied, by another teacher where you go to school or work? As a student or a fellow teacher, you may be aware this is going on, but are uncertain as to what you can do. 

Prevention of teachers bullying colleagues is important, as intimidation results when a teacher is bullied by another colleague. This is not a new phenomenon, but it is of concern to educators everywhere. Currently, there is more emphasis about the prevention of bullying with children from kindergarten through high school, than there is on the prevention of bullying of teachers by other colleagues. At the same time, teachers continue to bully other colleagues openly or in subversive ways.

According to the article, “Teachers 'bully other teachers', “the most widespread forms of bullying were negative comments and verbal insults. But almost half of bullying victims claimed they had been intimidated - for example, being threatened or sworn at - and two in five reported psychological abuse.”

The prevention of bullying in school is crucial to the learning process on every level.

Why do some teachers bully their colleagues?

Sometimes, competition for teaching jobs is at the heart of teachers bullying their colleagues. Nowadays, there is no shortage of teachers and the competition for available teaching jobs is fierce. Teaching positions are at a premium, as the unemployment level for teachers is relatively high.

Increasingly high academic standards in teaching jobs places teachers in a position where they may try to oust other colleagues, who have to upgrade their education in order to continue to work as teachers. In other words, teachers may bully their colleagues in order to take over their teaching positions or get their promotions.

Nowadays, most teaching jobs require graduation from teacher’s college after obtaining a college or university degree or a Masters degree. Continual upgrading is another important aspect of being a teacher.

Children or teens who observe bullying of teachers by other colleagues, may not necessarily comprehend job availability issues or the academic requirements. They only see teachers abusing other teachers and may or may not be aware that these teachers are use bullying tactics.

Intimidation used by teachers who tend towards bullying, is not unlike bullying tactics used by children and teenagers everywhere. In fact, one might suggest that the same tactics these teachers used as children or teenagers bullying others, often become part of the tactics they employ in their teaching careers, when it comes to controlling or domineering other colleagues.

Bullying related to gender issues is also a growing concern among educators everywhere. The colleagues of teachers are not exempt from this kind of bullying.   

Teachers raised by parents, grandparents and others who used bullying tactics to survive, tend to continue that kind of behavior even though bullying on every level is regarded as inappropriate for teachers. They should be advocating bullying prevention by setting a good example for their students.

"It is unacceptable for any staff to be bullied by colleagues, and schools and colleges need robust policies in place to pick up any problems and deal with them promptly.”

This is also true for kindergarten, school or high school teachers and their colleagues.

Bullying prevention is vital for progress in the education system and students, as well as teachers, can play a vital role in bullying prevention.