The word bullying has been related to bullying that children and adolescents can suffer, more commonly, in any society. This concept is partly true, however, it is not only children and adolescents who can be victims of bullying, since adults can also be bullied at home, on the street or in their workplace, although it is often receive different names. With reference to the latter, many teachers report new situations of bullying every day in different parts of the world, but why and what solutions are being sought in this regard?
What is bullying actually
To understand bullying or harassment in any context, it is first necessary to understand its definition. Bullying , in particular, is a pattern of abuse that occurs over a prolonged period of time with the desire to humiliate or degrade another person by making them socially isolated.
The tools that the bully can use are varied, such as physical aggression, insult, verbal aggression, exclusion, humiliation or destruction of reputation, a practice that is becoming more and more common in digital media.
How teachers suffer bullying
There are many ways in which a teacher can suffer bullying, and the most common are the violence that is endured from senior management positions towards lower-ranking teachers (although this is usually defined as workplace harassment or mobbing), or that which It is received by a member of the student body. However, these are not the only ways.
Another common form of bullying among teachers is when groups (sometimes WhatsApp groups ) are created that support unverified rumors, that seek to demean the teacher or intimidate a group of teachers other than those of the group itself, parent chats … etc. . These types of groups, sponsored to a large extent by social networks, function as a factory of comments that damage the image of teachers and that can lead to dismissal or resignation by the bullied teacher in the most extreme cases.
That is why we should reflect on this type of practice, since the consequences can be very serious and negative, in addition to creating an absolutely inappropriate environment with respect to the education of students. A teacher who suffers bullying may experience poor work performance, in addition to health problems such as headache, stomach pain, depression, anxiety or tension , and these consequences can worsen over time, also damaging the quality of teaching and the appropriate pace. from the classroom.
What should a teacher who is bullied do?
A teacher who is bullied has several alternatives, such as:
- You can document each incident for your own record, writing down the date, time, people who participated, place, and the feelings that arose from the bullying. All this in order to seek psychological help and not fall into a mental weakness or isolation.
- Seek guidance through a union or a lawyer who can help and advise on legal action in this regard.
- Another possibility is to confront the bully. Since he needs the energy of a weak person to feel stronger , confrontation can weaken him. However, care must be taken not to create violent episodes, as the bullied person can hold a grudge and frustration in the long run.
- Although, undoubtedly, the best option is to always communicate everything to superiors and establish fluid means of communication with students and parents, avoiding external means of communication outside of school or censoring those attitudes that are not typical of a school environment. proper respect.
More and more teachers feel disadvantaged or undervalued with respect to their professionalism, largely due to new situations such as those created by new digital environments, and it is everyone’s duty to prevent these situations from occurring, as they cannot have fit in a society and in educational environments in which it is sought that the youngest understand each other, communicate and get along with all their peers without any type of friction or problems. We adults must be the example and guarantee an environment of coexistence and help to teachers , and never confrontational, since only in this way can we avoid new and traditional cases of harassment in the academic environment.
