Behind the Closed Door: Exploring Teacher Bullying and Abuse of Students, Characteristics of the Teacher, and Impact
The purpose of the study was to investigate the extent of teacher abuse of elementary students, the characteristics of teachers who abuse, the types of behaviours abusive teachers engage in, the reasons for teacher abuse, and the impact on victims and witnesses. Two samples participated in the study: 1) pre-service teachers (n = 99) completed the study questionnaire regarding abusive teacher behaviours they witnessed while on practicum placement and 2) undergraduate students (n = 290) reflected on their own elementary school teachers’ behaviours. Verbal and emotional abuse was most often reported; however, physical and sexual abuses were also indicated. Differences were found between teachers who were and were not perceived to abuse students on types of behaviours engaged in and job performance. Pre-service teachers reported being impacted by the abusive behaviours they witnessed and undergraduate students recalled negative impact on them. Male undergraduate students reported greater impact if they were ever abused by a male teacher whereas female students were equally impacted regardless of whether a male teacher was involved or not. Barriers to reporting included fears of future employment, not wanting to question another teacher’s practice, and uncertainty regarding the reporting process. In consideration of these results, a number of recommendations to address teacher abuse are provided including mandatory reporting of teacher abuse, alterations to the current protocol for investigating abusive teachers, and content and criteria for continued education for teachers. Based on the results, a workshop to address the likely causal factors of teacher abuse is provided as well as detailed lessons for teaching students about their rights and freedoms in the classroom. Overall, results of the study show that teacher abuse is an issue in Ontario’s elementary schools, the impact of the abuse is apparent, and that strategies must be undertaken in order to address the problem.