Patterns Which Reveal Bullying of Teachers
Serial bullies have a history of bullying. Simple investigation will reveal a string of previous targets who have been dismissed, taken early or ill-health retirement, or who have left under suspicious circumstances. Principals and Head teachers bully teachers and sometimes an element exists where teachers bully other teachers.
The Pattern of Bullying is Always the Same:
The teacher (or any employee) is selected usually because they are good at their job and popular with the children and parents. Envy of abilities and jealously of the employee often motivate bullies. A bully despises good, gentle, hard working, honest and popular employees. They are everything the bully is not.
Another common reason for being selected is unwittingly highlighting or inviting comparison with another's incompetence simply by being competent.
Teachers who are single parents, going through divorce or bereavement are easy targets for the bully to manipulate and control.
Maybe the teacher is not mainstream but a little different with slightly unconventional techniques or dressed slightly differently and whose presence unwittingly challenges the status quo. The bully comes very close to discrimination but cleverly knows how to find faults to cut down the teacher.
Sometimes the bully will strike when their target (i.e. victim) is off work caring for a sick partner, relative or child, or attending a family celebration such as a wedding or birth - even their own wedding or birth.
The target of bullying is subjected to constant criticism, nit-picking and fault-finding. The nit-picking and triviality of the bully’s attack, combined with the absence of praise and recognition are typical of bullies. The criticisms are presented in the guise of lack of performance but in reality are for control and subjugation.
At all times the bully seeks power, control, domination and subjugation. In fact, all criticisms and allegations are usually a projection of the bully's own failings. The criticisms start off trivial and gradually increase in seriousness. Serial bullies are adept at undermining the credibility of anyone who can see through their mask and - importantly - who might help others also to see through that mask.
Eventually, the person asserts their right not to be bullied; the bully's response is to impose verbal or written warnings as a fait accompli without investigation, then subject the person to a competency procedure, overload them with work, assign them the most disruptive pupils, give them the most difficult timetable, etc.
If the person still asserts their right not to be bullied, a complaint is fabricated along the lines of "a parent has made a complaint against you"; however the nature of the complaint and the identity of the complainant cannot be revealed "for reasons of confidentiality". In fact, either no complaint has been made, or a comment by a parent has been deliberately misconstrued or distorted to form the basis of an allegation.
Sometimes, an allegation of sexual impropriety or abuse is made. Again, the nature of the complaint and the identity of the complainant cannot be revealed "for reasons of confidentiality". In fact, either no complaint has been made, or a chance remark is opportunely misconstrued, or a child is coerced into making a complaint over a trivial issue. In a bullying situation, this type of allegation is often a projection; the person making the allegation is more likely to be the abuser, and should also be investigated.
The target of bullying eventually, and reluctantly, starts grievance and legal action. The employee and employer then slog it out in a legal battle which may take several years. Serial bullies are skilled at encouraging conflict between those who may otherwise pool negative information about them.
Unfortunately, the governor system does not work in cases where you have a bullying head. Either the governors (i.e. the Board of Management) just rubber-stamp the head's decisions. As volunteers, the Board members may not have management training, and definitely lack knowledge of bullying, and do not have investigative skills.
The bully, as master manipulator, has manoeuvred a "friend" into the position of chair of governors or tactfully “befriended” prominent members of the Board - with the same result. The Board then finds it easier to bury the victim rather than confront the bullying head. Sad but so true.
If the teacher stands up against the bullying head and appeals to the governors, the governors either don't know what to do, or don't want to know, or recommend the matter be referred to the dispute resolution department - run by who else - the bully.
The victim appeals to the teachers’ union, visits a psychologist, visits a lawyer, appeals to the Board of Management again. This ping-pong of attempts to find a resolution often lasts a year or more. In the meantime, the stress of doing one's job, pursuing grievance, etc results in the teacher being on permanent sick leave and after a year may be dismissed on ill-health grounds under the terms of the employment contract. The bully wins again.......and moves onto the next victim - a story so familiar to many victims.