Investigation of Staff Bullying in Australian Schools

Abstract

In 2007 Riley, Duncan and Edwards completed the first national online survey into staff bullying in Australian schools. The population of interest was employees in Australian schools in all States and Territories, including primary and secondary schools in both the Government and non- Government sectors. Survey responses totalled over 800, of these almost 50% had executive experience and 21 years or more of teaching experience. These respondents represent a very experienced group of members of the teaching profession whose opinions warrant serious consideration. Each State and Territory was represented, with support staff, teachers, executives and principals detailing their experiences of staff bullying. ... The survey instrument provided a definition of bullying as: "The term 'staff bullying' is used to differentiate between the 'playground bully' who is identified as a student and the 'staff bully' who is identified as an adult. Staff bullying relates to situations where an adult is either the perpetrator or target of bullying. Bullying has been defined as 'repeated and persistent negative acts towards one or more individual(s) which involve a persistent power imbalance and create a hostile work environment'." This research is premised on the understanding that if a school employee perceives behaviour towards them as bullying, then that is reality for them.