An Investigation into Teachers' Experiences of Bullying and Harassment in Australian Schools (HEC17-060)
Research team
Dr Paulina Billett
Dr Edgar Burns
Dr Rochelle Fogelgarn
Dr Paulina Billett
Dr Edgar Burns
Dr Rochelle Fogelgarn
This study was undertaken in 2018 with funding from the La Trobe DVC(R) Research Engagement Income Growth Fund and HuSS IRGS Supplementary Support Fund. It received the support of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (Ahisa) and the Australian Education Union (Victoria branch). This project aimed to shed light on teachers' experiences of feeling bullied and victimised while working in Australia’s Independent and Public Schools and presents findings of the incidence and impact of student and parental Teacher Targeted Bullying and Harassment (TTBH). To our knowledge, this is the first research of its kind in Australia.
It was found that while there is mounting evidence that teachers suffer ongoing incidences of Teacher Targeted Bullying and Harassment, there is a paucity of research which explores teachers' reports of being bullied by students and parents. It also found that many teachers feel they struggle to feel respected professionally and believe their reports of teacher targeted bullying and harassment are often ignored or downplayed by management and peak bodies. Finally, it was found that teacher targeted bullying and harassment by students and parents has detrimental effects on a teacher’s sense of self-efficacy and wellbeing and may contribute to an unsafe workplace.
It was found that while there is mounting evidence that teachers suffer ongoing incidences of Teacher Targeted Bullying and Harassment, there is a paucity of research which explores teachers' reports of being bullied by students and parents. It also found that many teachers feel they struggle to feel respected professionally and believe their reports of teacher targeted bullying and harassment are often ignored or downplayed by management and peak bodies. Finally, it was found that teacher targeted bullying and harassment by students and parents has detrimental effects on a teacher’s sense of self-efficacy and wellbeing and may contribute to an unsafe workplace.
What were some of our major findings?
560 teachers from across Australia took part in this study. Teachers from all but one state were represented in this study. 1540 incidences of TTBH were recorded for the period of 9 to 12 months preceding the study.
- 80 percent of teachers had experienced bullying and harassment in the last 9 to 12 months preceding the survey
- 85.2 percent of teachers felt there was a problem with parent and student TTBH in Australian schools
Publications from this study
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- Billett, P., Fogelgarn, R and Burns, E. Almost Every School Teacher Has Been Bullied by Students or Their Parents and Its Taking Its Toll, The conversation, May 19, 2019 avaliable at - https://theconversation.com/almost-every-australian-teacher-has-been-bullied-by-students-or-their-parents-and-its-taking-a-toll-116058
- Billett, P., Fogelgarn, R and Burns, E. (2019). Teacher Bullying and Harassment by Students and Parents in Australian schools (2019), Professional Voice Journal, 13.1.4
- Fogelgarn, R., Burns, E and Billett, P (forthcoming). Teacher-targeted bullying and harassment in Australian schools: a challenge to teacher professionalism, ATEA/Springer.
