Teachers' Experiences With Bullying and Mistreatment in Their Workplaces

• In Event: 52.052 - Trust and Distrust in Schools: How Teachers Navigate Challenging Workplace Relations

Abstract

Workplace bullying in K-12 schools is defined as any administrator behavior causing, in the teacher’s eyes, “psychological-emotional, physical-physiological, personal, and/or professional harm to oneself” (Blasè, Blasè, & Du, 2008, p. 265). The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of their experiences with mistreatment by their administrators. Data were collected from a purposeful sample of 250 teachers using the Principal Mistreatment/Abuse Inventory and interviews were conducted with 26 of these teachers. Approximately 80% of survey participants felt they had been bullied or mistreated by an administrator. Teachers experienced various forms of mistreatment including being ignored by administrators, given unfair evaluations, and a lack of administrator support. About half of participants felt they were mistreated because of their age.

Author

• Amy Orange, University of Houston - Clear Lake