Research and discussions with teachers – at both the elementary and high school level – suggests that teachers are easy targets for bullies, that the bullying of teachers is on the rise, and that the bullying is coming from several sources.

Students as Bullies. Some experts argue that student bullying of teachers is reaching epidemic proportions. Students can bully teachers in various ways – acting out in the class, challenging the teacher, or in more subtle forms like spreading rumors. The rise of social media provides an easy platform for students to cyberbully teachers.

Parents as Bullies. The amount of “helicopter parents,” or those who are exceedingly protective of their children, is rising and in some cases these parents cross the line with teachers. Some of the bullying is subtle – demanding more and more from a teacher, asking for exceptions for their child, or tearing down the teacher’s reputation to other parents. Sometimes it reaches extremes. In one high school, the parent of a first-year student confronted each of the student’s teachers, and told them, “My daughter is going to be the valedictorian, so I expect you to give her an A.”

– Ronald E Riggio Ph.D.

Read more: Are Teachers Getting Bullied?

Image by Morgan Basham from Unsplash