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Is it bullying?

Bullying

A key factor in ATL's definition of bullying is that the behaviour is persistent and normally deliberate.

The following examples may help you decide whether your manager's behaviour falls into the category of bullying. 

  • One foggy morning you arrive 15 minutes late and are accused of habitual unpunctuality by the headteacher. The accusation is unreasonable, but the behaviour would only constitute bullying if it happened on a recurring and unjustified basis. 
  • At a planning meeting, your suggestions are accepted but a colleague receives the credit. It's unfair, but only worth pursuing if the pattern is sustained. 
  • You forget to go to a meeting. As a result, you receive first a very sharp memo and then, three weeks later, a summons to a formal meeting. This looks like an unduly severe approach, verging on bullying if it is part of a pattern. 
  • Meeting you in a corridor full of children, the headteacher starts to discuss complaints about your teaching. This could be the beginning of bullying, but it could just be tactless management. 
  • You look at the new timetable. You again seem to have an unfair share of more difficult groups. This may be bullying but investigate other allocations before taking action. 
  • In a series of private conversations with you, the headteacher keeps referring to the likelihood that there will need to be staffing cuts next year. While this is certainly not an appropriate method of consultation over possible redundancies, it is not necessarily bullying. 
  • One of your groups is being disrupted on a regular basis by a particular child. Your attempts to gain support have been rebutted with the comment that you should resolve your problems yourself. You are entitled to support from management in this matter. Persistent failure to provide appropriate support could constitute bullying. 
  • According to the headteacher, nothing you do seems to be right. You are frequently subjected to criticism, both in public and in private. This is bullying.     

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Of course, you may be the last to realise that you are being bullied.
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Of course, you may be the last to realise that you are being bullied. You feel stressed but put this down to the pressures of dealing with pupils rather than the behaviour of your headteacher or line manager. It may only be when a colleague discusses the matter with you that you realise what is going on. Signs indicating that you may be on the receiving end of bullying include: 

  • excessive fear of meeting or speaking to the headteacher/line manager 
  • loss of confidence, self-worth and self-belief 
  • reluctance to voice an opinion in case the manager misinterprets it as hostile criticism or treats it with derision/suspicion 
  • a gradual realisation that you are afraid to go in to school because you feel threatened by the management's attitude 
  • physical ill-health, such as unintended weight loss, disrupted sleep patterns, nausea, crying fits, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, back pains and skin complaints.     

At its most extreme, the physical reaction to the stress of bullying can include ulcers, depression and panic attacks. 

A significant increase in sick leave can lead to more threats from management and even more stress. Equally damaging is that teachers may feel compelled to keep going at all costs `for the sake of the children'. At this point, many teachers think about leaving their particular post, but they face the problem that the person who is bullying them is the very person who will have to write their reference. They may also fear that, even if the written reference is good, it will be followed up by a telephone call which will ensure that they are not short-listed.

Help and support 
For further advice on this issue, ATL members can speak to their school rep, their branch secretary or their regional official. They can also call the London (020 7930 6441), Cardiff (029 2046 5000) or Belfast office (02890 327 990) or email info@atl.org.uk.

For out of hours enquiries, call the out of office hours helpline on 020 7782 1612 (Monday-Friday, 5-8pm during term time). Don’t forget that ATL also offers a Crisis Line for members who have suffered assaults or trauma either at work or in their private lives (08705 234 838).

If you are not a member, join online now.


 

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