We all know that our children can be bullied in school but when this happens it is usually a fellow pupil who is the culprit but now it seems that your child is vulnerable to another kind of bullying, by teachers. Bullying done in this form is all verbal and done to make your child look stupid amongst his/her classmates; this is usually by name calling such as telling the child they are stupid in front of the whole class.
There has not being much written on the topic of teachers bullying pupils for obvious reasons, but a recent survey came to light revealing that 25% of the teachers who were questioned about bullying admitted they had to some degree during their career with 2% stating they did it on a regular basis.
Signs to watch for in your child
When teachers are the ones who are bullying children, the children are even more reluctant to tell someone than if it is other children who are doing the bullying.
This could be because they were brought up to respect older people and teachers are authority figures after all, so when the teacher becomes the bully this can be as confusing as it is upsetting for the child. Some signs that your child may be having serious problems with a teacher are
* Changes in your Child’s behaviour - Children who are bullied by teachers will often have headaches, stomach aches or any other little illness on certain days of the week, this is usually when they are in lessons with a particular teacher who is bullying them.
* Complaints of being picked on - Pay attention if your child complains of being picked on in school especially if one teachers name keeps cropping up all the time.
* Signs of contempt - if your child talks to you about an incident with a teacher get them to tell you in as much detail as possible about what happened, particularly the teachers tone of voice and the way your child was spoken to in front of the class.
Finding solutions to stop bullying by teachers
Bullying must be stopped in whatever form it takes and whoever does it, your child must understand that bullying is not acceptable and that they are not alone, it is important for parents to remain calm and not stoop to the level of the bully, parents of course will be outraged that the teacher is a bully, after all these are the people you entrust the care of your child to for hours a day.
* Arrange a meeting - arrange a meeting with the head teacher and the teacher in question and voice your concerns about your child being victimised in the classroom.
* Write a letter - Put down in writing the incidences that occur in the classroom and the way your child has changed because of the behaviour of the teacher, this way the teacher can see how his/her behaviour is affecting the child and of course they also know that you know what is happening in the classroom and that notes are being kept.
* Be prepared to go to higher authorities - If you are not satisfied with the way the school or teachers deal with any complaints, this could be writing to Ofsted or the board of education.
Bullying Teacher Help Pictures
Bullying Teacher Help Videos
The school bully may need as much help as his victim.
End Teacher Abuse
How To... Deal With Bullies!
Lets Stop Bullying
Columbine High School Massacre - 4/20/99 - Cause: Bullying
Sirman the Bully
Bullying Teacher Help Question & Answers
Filed under: Bullying Guide: Learning About & Dealing With Bullying
4 Responses to “Is Your Child Being Bullied By A Teacher?”
My thirteen year old daughter has been bullied repeatedly by two teachers (who choose the gang up approach) in this small eastern TN community in the Smokey Mountain region. Just this year, this child was assaulted by an English teacher in the middle school setting as the lady grabbed her wrist and forearm for stating the words “whatever” to the teachers inappropriate commentary. This grabbing of her appendage, left a bruise. This teacher and I had other issues when my older son, who is now in high school, attended this middle school. This same teacher actually stated to me to my face, “we resent you questioning our authority!” (Who is we? Is this an English teacher or an abusive control freak? I am starting to believe the latter.
When taking action on this assault, I met with the teacher in question (as well as another teacher who was with the assaulter at the time, who also has major control issues) as well as the principal and vice principal. I made it very clear that this was unacceptable and I wished this type of conduct to cease and desist or I would climb the hierarchical chain of command by filing complaints with the superintendents office and exposing such abuses to the press.
A little while after this meeting, I received a certified letter from an attorney in Nashville who indicated that I was “disrupting the educational process” and by order of the Director of schools (superintendent) was banned from gracing the premises of the schools, and was only to pick up and retrieve my children from school, but was not to speak, call, email, or contact anyone employed by the School system. This is ludicrous and insane, as currently I have three children in schools here. Now, if I had made some terrorist threat or something like that, I might understand, however, the only threats (promises) I have made are to expose this type of abusive conduct which permeates and corrodes the school system here and they wish to ban me from gracing their holy premises? The superintendent and his cronies in the central office are useless as they are unresponsive and complaints are only met with denial and resistance. I have consulted legal counsel and have learned that according to state statutes, I have an extended period to go after the assaultive teacher. There is no court order, no protection order, no order of any sort, just a letter from this attorney (who I found out from other legal counsel represents 70% of the school districts in TN and is a complete ______ (an expletive that he used, which I will not write here.) I am not sure someone can ban you without a court order, simply due to the fact that they do not like what you have to say. The schools own policy is clearly defined stating that no child shall bully another child or teacher, and that no teacher will bully or intimidate another child, lest their be repercussions up to and including termination. Why does the school system opt to not follow its own policy? Does that not raise the specter of liability with the school system?
My twin girls (in the same grade and school) have experienced retaliation by these two teachers, and one acts so juvenile that she shuns my girls when she sees them, by turning her head to one side to block their presence. How juvenile is this? We have teachers with 3rd grade mentality teaching 7th grade middle schoolers?
There are other parents who have had problems in this school system, but for the most part, many are scared to speak out due to potential retaliatory type behavior toward their children.
I swear this one needs to be portrayed on “Nancy Grace”!
I feel that educationally, I am stuck in a 1970’s movie with Burt Reynolds, titled “Deliverance”!
I HAVE TWINS A BOY AND GIRL IN PRIMARY 6 AND LAST YEAR THERE WAS A NEW TEACHER THAT WAS INTRODUCED INTO THE CLASS THEN BEGAN TO TAKE OVER FROM THE ORIGINAL TEACHER ON THURSDAY AND A FRIDAY. THATS WHEN THE BULLYING STARTED!MY TWINS ARE IN THE SAME CLASS AND BOTH NEED EXTRA HELP WITHIN THERE EDUCATION, I THINK PAIGE IS DYSLEXIC BECAUSE SHE HAS TROUBLE SOUNDING WORDS OUT AND SPELLING THEM. THE TEACHER ASKED PAIGE TO PUT AWAY THE PENCILS IN A TRAY THAT WAS MARKED PENCILS BUT PAIGE COULD NOT DETERMINE WHICH WAS THE RIGHT TRAY. SO SHE SHOUTED OUT INFRONT OF THE WHOLE CLASS CAN YOU READ!!!!!! NOW SHE HAS MOVED ON TO TYLER MY BOY TWIN, HE DOES GET INTO ALOT OF BOTHER AT SCHOOL BUT BECAUSE HE DOES HE ALWAYS GET THE FINGER POINTED AT HIM.HE DOES OWN UP WHEN IT IS HIM! I MAKE SURE OF THAT BUT SHE SHOUTED OUT AT HIM INFRONT OF THE CLASS ONE DAY THAT HE WAS A COWARD. PLEASE HELP THERE HAS BEEN ALOT OF OTHER INCIDENTS.
Is my grandson being bullied by his teacher?
I am concerend my grandson is being bulllied/picked on by his teacher - please could you offer the best way for me to approach this? My grandson has witnessed his mum being attacked by his father and has many problems associated with this, his father was charged with attempted GBH, my grandson does have behavioural problems which are being dealt with by counselling but does not seem to be getting school support, he is blamed for everything and my family feel he is being picked on at school by the teachers because they do not like his \’type\’ of pupil. Please could offer help. I have researched the internet and many aspects of teacher bullies and child moods fits what is happening with my grandson, how should I best proceed, without making an accusation?
My story begins with my daughter being bullied by two girls in her class. I advised my daughter to ignore them as much as possible which she tried. They would approach her in the yard, intent on annoying her. Suffice it to say, everything they did was sneaky. But half way through the school year, when they did not get a reaction from my daughter they went a step further! They approached their teacher and told a lie on my daughter. My daughter, who has never been in any kind of trouble(thank God), was understandably very upset, to the point of asking would I go down to the school. Of course, I went and spoke to her teacher. The teacher and I decided to let the vice-principal deal with the matter as we had discovered that they had changed their story 4 TIMES. Having told the teacher not to make a big deal of it, but to make sure they did not do it again, even to another student, I thought the matter was dealt with. I was wrong!! The vice-principal heard these two girls changing their stories 4 times and instead of making them apologize to my daughter, made them all apologize to each other!! I was annoyed but thought that I would leave things alone and see how they went. They just went back to doing what they always did. I tried to talk to the vice principal about it in private but she was having none of it. She insisted on going down to my daughter’s classroom and taking the teacher out and
my daughter. I felt so intimidated and I can only imagine how my daughter felt. She told me she TOOK ISSUE with my questioning her method of dealing with the situation which she refused point blank to call a BULLYING SITUATION. She refused to call what the girls had done A LIE. I was a MISUNDERSTANDING. I told her in my book, a lie is a lie. Unable to take any criticism at all, she proceeded to say that maybe I had too much free time on my hands (I can only imagine she meant because I am a stay at home mum)and listen too much to my daughter. My daughter did nothing wrong, and I felt I had to defend my daughter and myself. These same two girls smile in my face and continue to annoy my child in the class and the yard.
If I thought I was imagining this vice principal’s annoyance at being brought to task by me, the school magazine at the end of the year proved me wrong. My daughter wrote a hallow’een poem and won a prise along with 8 or 9 other students. Everyone of them had their picture in the magazine. Except my daughter! although her photograph had been taken with the rest of the students. She couldn’t understand it at all! Well, if nothing else, this has been very therapeutic. Would welcome comments.
4 Responses to “Is Your Child Being Bullied By A Teacher?”
My thirteen year old daughter has been bullied repeatedly by two teachers (who choose the gang up approach) in this small eastern TN community in the Smokey Mountain region. Just this year, this child was assaulted by an English teacher in the middle school setting as the lady grabbed her wrist and forearm for stating the words “whatever” to the teachers inappropriate commentary. This grabbing of her appendage, left a bruise. This teacher and I had other issues when my older son, who is now in high school, attended this middle school. This same teacher actually stated to me to my face, “we resent you questioning our authority!” (Who is we? Is this an English teacher or an abusive control freak? I am starting to believe the latter.
When taking action on this assault, I met with the teacher in question (as well as another teacher who was with the assaulter at the time, who also has major control issues) as well as the principal and vice principal. I made it very clear that this was unacceptable and I wished this type of conduct to cease and desist or I would climb the hierarchical chain of command by filing complaints with the superintendents office and exposing such abuses to the press.
A little while after this meeting, I received a certified letter from an attorney in Nashville who indicated that I was “disrupting the educational process” and by order of the Director of schools (superintendent) was banned from gracing the premises of the schools, and was only to pick up and retrieve my children from school, but was not to speak, call, email, or contact anyone employed by the School system. This is ludicrous and insane, as currently I have three children in schools here. Now, if I had made some terrorist threat or something like that, I might understand, however, the only threats (promises) I have made are to expose this type of abusive conduct which permeates and corrodes the school system here and they wish to ban me from gracing their holy premises? The superintendent and his cronies in the central office are useless as they are unresponsive and complaints are only met with denial and resistance. I have consulted legal counsel and have learned that according to state statutes, I have an extended period to go after the assaultive teacher. There is no court order, no protection order, no order of any sort, just a letter from this attorney (who I found out from other legal counsel represents 70% of the school districts in TN and is a complete ______ (an expletive that he used, which I will not write here.) I am not sure someone can ban you without a court order, simply due to the fact that they do not like what you have to say. The schools own policy is clearly defined stating that no child shall bully another child or teacher, and that no teacher will bully or intimidate another child, lest their be repercussions up to and including termination. Why does the school system opt to not follow its own policy? Does that not raise the specter of liability with the school system?
My twin girls (in the same grade and school) have experienced retaliation by these two teachers, and one acts so juvenile that she shuns my girls when she sees them, by turning her head to one side to block their presence. How juvenile is this? We have teachers with 3rd grade mentality teaching 7th grade middle schoolers?
There are other parents who have had problems in this school system, but for the most part, many are scared to speak out due to potential retaliatory type behavior toward their children.
I swear this one needs to be portrayed on “Nancy Grace”!
I feel that educationally, I am stuck in a 1970’s movie with Burt Reynolds, titled “Deliverance”!
By Cat on Jun 4, 2008
I HAVE TWINS A BOY AND GIRL IN PRIMARY 6 AND LAST YEAR THERE WAS A NEW TEACHER THAT WAS INTRODUCED INTO THE CLASS THEN BEGAN TO TAKE OVER FROM THE ORIGINAL TEACHER ON THURSDAY AND A FRIDAY. THATS WHEN THE BULLYING STARTED!MY TWINS ARE IN THE SAME CLASS AND BOTH NEED EXTRA HELP WITHIN THERE EDUCATION, I THINK PAIGE IS DYSLEXIC BECAUSE SHE HAS TROUBLE SOUNDING WORDS OUT AND SPELLING THEM. THE TEACHER ASKED PAIGE TO PUT AWAY THE PENCILS IN A TRAY THAT WAS MARKED PENCILS BUT PAIGE COULD NOT DETERMINE WHICH WAS THE RIGHT TRAY. SO SHE SHOUTED OUT INFRONT OF THE WHOLE CLASS CAN YOU READ!!!!!! NOW SHE HAS MOVED ON TO TYLER MY BOY TWIN, HE DOES GET INTO ALOT OF BOTHER AT SCHOOL BUT BECAUSE HE DOES HE ALWAYS GET THE FINGER POINTED AT HIM.HE DOES OWN UP WHEN IT IS HIM! I MAKE SURE OF THAT BUT SHE SHOUTED OUT AT HIM INFRONT OF THE CLASS ONE DAY THAT HE WAS A COWARD. PLEASE HELP THERE HAS BEEN ALOT OF OTHER INCIDENTS.
By peggy on Jun 7, 2008
Is my grandson being bullied by his teacher?
I am concerend my grandson is being bulllied/picked on by his teacher - please could you offer the best way for me to approach this? My grandson has witnessed his mum being attacked by his father and has many problems associated with this, his father was charged with attempted GBH, my grandson does have behavioural problems which are being dealt with by counselling but does not seem to be getting school support, he is blamed for everything and my family feel he is being picked on at school by the teachers because they do not like his \’type\’ of pupil. Please could offer help. I have researched the internet and many aspects of teacher bullies and child moods fits what is happening with my grandson, how should I best proceed, without making an accusation?
By Dot Mullins on Jun 7, 2008
My story begins with my daughter being bullied by two girls in her class. I advised my daughter to ignore them as much as possible which she tried. They would approach her in the yard, intent on annoying her. Suffice it to say, everything they did was sneaky. But half way through the school year, when they did not get a reaction from my daughter they went a step further! They approached their teacher and told a lie on my daughter. My daughter, who has never been in any kind of trouble(thank God), was understandably very upset, to the point of asking would I go down to the school. Of course, I went and spoke to her teacher. The teacher and I decided to let the vice-principal deal with the matter as we had discovered that they had changed their story 4 TIMES. Having told the teacher not to make a big deal of it, but to make sure they did not do it again, even to another student, I thought the matter was dealt with. I was wrong!! The vice-principal heard these two girls changing their stories 4 times and instead of making them apologize to my daughter, made them all apologize to each other!! I was annoyed but thought that I would leave things alone and see how they went. They just went back to doing what they always did. I tried to talk to the vice principal about it in private but she was having none of it. She insisted on going down to my daughter’s classroom and taking the teacher out and
my daughter. I felt so intimidated and I can only imagine how my daughter felt. She told me she TOOK ISSUE with my questioning her method of dealing with the situation which she refused point blank to call a BULLYING SITUATION. She refused to call what the girls had done A LIE. I was a MISUNDERSTANDING. I told her in my book, a lie is a lie. Unable to take any criticism at all, she proceeded to say that maybe I had too much free time on my hands (I can only imagine she meant because I am a stay at home mum)and listen too much to my daughter. My daughter did nothing wrong, and I felt I had to defend my daughter and myself. These same two girls smile in my face and continue to annoy my child in the class and the yard.
If I thought I was imagining this vice principal’s annoyance at being brought to task by me, the school magazine at the end of the year proved me wrong. My daughter wrote a hallow’een poem and won a prise along with 8 or 9 other students. Everyone of them had their picture in the magazine. Except my daughter! although her photograph had been taken with the rest of the students. She couldn’t understand it at all! Well, if nothing else, this has been very therapeutic. Would welcome comments.
By catherine on Aug 28, 2008