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What if the teacher becomes the bully?

Blog 7: Tirza Scheffer

Last week in class we had to discuss about the topic; what if the teacher becomes the bully? I think this was an important topic to talk about, because we mostly focus on students bullying on other students. Recently I found an article about this topic, so I wanted to share some more information about this.

The website of Psychology Today published an article about "Teacher bullying: a hidden trauma". It explores how some teachers misuse their power, not just to discipline students, but to humiliate or intimidate them. It looks at how some teachers abuse their power not just to discipline students, but also to humiliate or scare them. This can include making fun of someone, embarrassing them in front of others, ignoring them, or treating them more harshly than others.

What surprised me most was how often this kind of bullying goes on without anyone noticing. Teachers have authority, which can make it difficult for students to speak out. Many students don't speak up because they're afraid of the consequences, or because they don't think they'll be believed. Even adults sometimes excuse harmful behaviour by saying the teacher is just being 'tough' or 'old school'. However, as the article states, such an environment can result in long-lasting emotional damage, low self-esteem, and potentially even trauma (Moeller, 2018).

This article made me think about how important it is for adults to make sure that children can learn in a safe environment. As future psychologists or educators, we must be willing to look beyond the typical bully-victim dynamic and question harmful behaviour, even if it comes from people in authority. If we want to reduce violence and mental health issues in schools, we need to understand all the ways students can feel unsafe.

References:

Moeller, J., PhD. (2018). Abusive leadership behavior in education. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/passion-101/201807/what-if-the-bully-is-teacher

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Comments

  1. Carla CachadiñaMay 25, 2025 at 10:45 AM

    I really enjoyed reading your post, it made me reflect on some high school experiences. It even inspired me to write a 'Part 2' as a continuation of your topic.

    ReplyDelete

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