An Interview with an Expert on Bullying Provides a Thought-provoking Perspective
is enabled by a conspiracy of silence.”
– Dr. Alan McEvoy
By Jean Harkness
Many parents would advise a child that the only way to deal with bullies is to stand up to them. But, on reflection, this simple philosophy is not practical and can be dangerous. What if the bully is much bigger and stronger? What if there is a group of bullies? What if the bully is an adult? What if the bully is a teacher? Bullying in school is not a simple problem. It extends beyond students and includes the whole school community. Schools are being challenged to expand their thinking about what is involved in creating a more respectful and tolerant school culture. Despite state requirements that bullying policy and programs address the culture of the entire school, many school programs target only the student behavior. Scrambling to meet state requirements to provide researched and proven strategies to address the problem of bullying, schools are using the resources available.
The bulk of research and the resulting program models have been limited almost exclusively to student behavior. Students are the most important emphasis in any school but they are not alone in shaping its culture. Teachers, coaches, and administrators are at the forefront in implementing change and creating a culture of respect. Change begins with school leaders modeling respectful behavior; supporting a no-tolerance approach to bullying; and deploying anti-bullying strategies.
The behavioral expectations for students that promote tolerance and respect should apply equally to the school staff. School efforts to intervene in and prevent bullying should apply to all members of the school community. Preliminary research indicates that the same standards are not being applied or enforced when the bully is a teacher.
Dr. Alan McEvoy, professor of sociology at Northern Michigan University, is a leading authority on harassment and bullying. He has been a pioneer in research that focuses on teacher (and coach) bullying. In a recent interview Dr. McEvoy shared his views and research findings, including his pilot study, Teachers Who Bully Students: Patterns and Policy Implications.
Q: What are the similarities between teacher bullies and student bullies?
A: “Teacher bullying is a common problem that exists in most schools,” said McEvoy. His research found that 93 percent of the 236 teachers and students surveyed reported that teacher bullying occurred in school and the subjects were in agreement regarding who the bullies were within a school. Results from his follow-up study supported these results as well. According to McEvoy, when teachers bully it often involves public humiliation. Teacher bullying most often occurs in front of a classroom of students. “Bullying by teachers is enabled by a conspiracy of silence,” he noted. Students are often hesitant to report because they fear that disclosure will lead to reprisal. Though McEvoy’s research did not quantify this, many of the narrative answers clearly showed that the respondents were afraid:
“Nothing happened after I complained, but since I knew that my teacher knew I complained, I was scared to go to class.”
“I felt the teacher would hate me.”
“Colleagues rarely report bullying because incidents are contained in the classroom, hidden from the observation of other adults,” he reported. Additionally, the students and faculty surveyed perceived that there was no effective or meaningful redress for complaints against teachers for bullying; and that there were seldom negative sanctions for teachers who were reported. The perception that school incident reporting and investigation mechanisms are complicated and ineffective perpetuates the silence and secrecy that enables bullying. Teacher bullying has serious emotional and social consequences that undermines the academic and social climate at school. Bullying is a fundamental corruption and violation of the teacher role. Two characteristics, to educate and to protect, are central to that role. Bullying is a violation of both duties. The emotional and social consequences of bullying carry over and adversely affect the victim’s performance in other classes and school activities. The student’s relationships with other teachers and students are disordered. “Teacher bullying often includes the tacit approval of the group,” McEvoy observed. Bystanders’ silence and/or responses (such as laughter) reinforce the legitimacy of the bullying and create a contagious atmosphere of abuse amplifying the experience of victimization.
Q: What are the differences between teacher bullies and student bullies?
A: Bullying by teachers is rarely physical. Most states have laws that prohibit physical discipline. Additionally, most schools have clear “hands off” policies and procedures that prohibit physical contact with students. Verbal and emotional abuse is a less defined area. A possible exception to this may be athletic coaches. “Active or passive abuses of the athletic training may be employed to cull team players—for example, when a football coach encourages larger team members to ‘go after’ (i.e., take cheap shots or physically hurt) another weaker athlete to get him to quit the team,” said McEvoy. “Bullying by teachers is almost always done in the context of the legitimate role of the teacher to motivate or discipline the student,” he said. “This masks the true nature of the behavior.” For example, a student may be singled out for ridicule or correction repeatedly in front of the class; assigned detentions or other legitimate sanctions; and even poorly graded. Bullying occurs when these legitimate functions are applied unfairly and inconsistently. There is a “gray line” between when discipline and motivational techniques become excessive. Because of the lack of definition regarding the proportionate and appropriate application of discipline and motivation, reported incidents are frequently denied and defended. “When confronted with a complaint of bullying, the action is justified as a legitimate discipline or motivational measure,” noted McEvoy. “Student bullies know what they are doing and that it is wrong,” he said. “Teacher bullies may not fully recognize the harm they are doing.” Once accused of crossing the line, many teachers sincerely contend that they were acting in the best interest of the class or student. Most schools today recognize that student-to-student bullying is a serious problem. In response, many schools have developed policies and procedures and have implemented programs to prevent bullying and promote a respectful school climate among the students. “There is a conspicuous absence of school policies and procedures dealing with teacher bullying,” said McEvoy.
Q: Why is teacher bullying a critical issue for a school community?
A: “It is the function of the school to educate,” said McEvoy. “Effective teaching is dependent on establishing effective and positive social and emotional relationships with students. Bullying by teachers interferes with and can destroy the development of such relationships and thereby disrupt learning.”
“Accommodations also need to be made for students who feel they are being bullied,” according to McEvoy. Schools can build flexibility into their programs to enable students to leave a class or situation that makes them uncomfortable without the repercussion of losing credit or missing work. Online learning opportunities, transferring to another class, or other accommodations should be made available.
The mechanisms exist for schools to address the problem of teacher bullying. Incident reporting and investigation are ingrained in our school systems for other kinds of behavior like sexual harassment claims. These existing policies and procedures can be reviewed and adapted to the problem of teacher bullying.
New Jersey is known to be a highly litigious state. Challenging a tenured teacher provokes fear of union involvement and expensive law suits. While these are realistic concerns for schools in the midst of cuts that limit staff time and district funding, school boards do have the authority to stand up to bullies by creating policies that can be effectively enforced. The topic needs to be addressed and the dialog needs to begin. A culture of respect can only be created when the entire school community—including teachers and administrators—supports the fair and consistent application of behavioral expectation.
Jean Harkness is a policy consultant with New Jersey School Boards Association’s Legal & Policy Services Department. She can be reached at jharkness@njsba.org. Reprinted with permission from the November/December 2010 issue of School Leader magazine. Copyright 2010 New Jersey School Boards Association. All rights reserved.
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