Bullying by teachers and school employees addressed
It’s not just middle and high school students that are bullying each other. Teachers, principals and other adult employees at school have been known to bully one another sometimes in the presence of students. In an effort to prevent adult bullying, some school districts are developing antibullying policies for their adult employees.
School districts in Iowa and California have passed policies addressing the issue. “Kids are very vulnerable to what adults say. Adult modeling is a very powerful force in shaping youth behavior,” said Stan Davis, a school guidance counselor in Maine. Promoting an antibullying message among students is “undermined when a principal bullies a teacher in front of the kids,” stated psychologist Ruth Namie of Washington. Although only these two programs exist at the moment, the concept may expand to others across the country.
Photo by John Steven Fernandez
Have you witnessed bullying at school among teachers or staff? How did it make you feel? Is there anything you could do about it such as talk to your parents or friends? How do you think bystanders feel when witnessing student bullying – isn’t it the same as what you experienced?
