In classrooms worldwide, teachers like Ruth*, a kindergarten educator in Fujairah, are facing an alarming and largely unspoken threat: bullying.
While discussions about bullying usually focus on students as the victims, Ruth’s experiences reveal that teachers, too, can be targets of harassment, aggression, and intimidation.
For Ruth, teaching has always been a passion. “When a lesson is going well, it’s such an amazing feeling to see that little light of understanding switch on in the students’ eyes,” she says, her face lighting up as she talks about her love for the profession.
However, her journey has not been without its challenges. Ruth recalls a previous stint at an international school where she endured aggressive behavior from students.
“I was slapped, kicked, pinched, called names, and even had chairs thrown at me,” she shares, visibly unsettled by the memories.
Ruth’s experiences are far from unique. Across the globe, teachers face similar challenges, often exacerbated by the reluctance of school administrations to address the issue. Ruth, like many of her peers, agreed to share her story under the condition of anonymity, fearing retribution from parents, students, or school management.
The Hidden Epidemic of Teacher Bullying
Teacher bullying is not a new phenomenon, but it is one that is often shrouded in silence. Educators are frequently reluctant to speak out, fearing that doing so could jeopardize their careers.
“Teachers don’t talk about it because, for the most part, school management will side with the children and parents over the teachers,” Ruth explains. “They are also likely to get fired if they make ‘trouble’.”
Psychologist and relationship coach Sangeeta Manglani confirms that this behavior is more common than people might think. “Bullying towards authoritative figures like teachers is not uncommon,” she says.
“However, these situations are spoken about less frequently, especially in comparison to peer-to-peer bullying. We see a lot more hesitation in reporting such cases due to the dynamics of the concerned authorities, embarrassment, shame, and fear of escalation.”
A Global Issue
Teacher bullying is not limited to any one region or country. A 2019 article in The Conversation revealed that “almost every Australian teacher has been bullied by students or their parents,” with similar cases reported in New Zealand, the United States, Taiwan, and even Finland—countries where teachers are traditionally well-respected.
In 2022, South Korea passed a law to protect teachers from bullying parents after a teacher took their own life, highlighting the severity of the issue.
According to the UK-based Anti-bullying Alliance, bullying can take various forms: physical (pushing, poking, kicking), verbal (name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumors), or emotional (ridicule, humiliation, intimidation).
What makes bullying particularly harmful is the imbalance of power it involves, where one group or individual deliberately and repeatedly inflicts harm on another.
Psychological Perspectives
Dr. Paul Gelston, a clinical psychologist at Dubai Community Health Centre, explains that bullying is a deliberate, aggressive act intended to cause distress. “In that sense, it has a more personal motivation to directly attack a specific person,” he notes.
“But in my experience, I don’t see that very often in classes here. What I do see more is difficult or challenging behavior that disrupts lessons and challenges teachers but isn’t directly personal towards them.”
In Dubai, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has made efforts to support teachers by encouraging schools to establish inclusion departments.
These departments are designed to offer support to students with additional needs, whether academic or emotional.
“Because of that framework, schools, teachers, and therefore students and families, are generally well-supported in Dubai schools,” Dr. Gelston adds.
However, even with support systems in place, some teachers continue to face bullying and harassment from students. For Ruth, one particularly difficult case involved a child who would insult teachers and throw objects without any apparent provocation.
“It wasn’t the usual case of a young child being unable to regulate their emotions,” she explains. “Some of them did behave like that because they were overwhelmed, but that’s something that’s very easy to recognize.”
The Impact on Teachers
The emotional and psychological toll that bullying takes on teachers can be devastating. Fatima*, an English teacher based in Dubai, witnessed a colleague endure relentless bullying from students and parents.
“She teaches Maths and is the best,” Fatima says, “but students blamed their poor grades on her and lied to their parents, saying what a horrible teacher she was. As a result, the parents constantly picked fights with her and were so disrespectful.”
Fatima’s colleague, a dedicated teacher who truly loved her students, was often reduced to tears by the relentless harassment. “She was sad, heartbroken, and shocked. It devastated me because she truly loved her students,” Fatima recalls. “She was just a pusher and wanted them to do well.”
Luckily, in this case, the school authorities were supportive, and over time, the situation improved. The students’ grades began to rise, and the parents stopped complaining.
But the damage had already been done. The teacher had been emotionally drained and traumatized by the experience.
For Susan*, a high school teacher with seven years of experience in Abu Dhabi and private international schools, bullying came in the form of disrespectful and threatening behavior from students.
She recalls one incident where students refused to follow her instructions, mocked teachers by engaging in body-shaming, and exhibited “rambunctious” behavior. “My emotional, physical, and mental health went completely down the tube,” she says.
Despite these challenges, Susan remains passionate about teaching. “It’s 100 percent because of the kids,” she says. “I know kids are not inherently bad. They are like little sponges—they can learn so much. Their future is ahead of them, and we can give them so much. I love to see that lightbulb moment with the kids while teaching them.”
Understanding Why Kids Bully
Bullying is often a symptom of deeper issues, according to Dubai-based clinical psychologist Nikita Barretto. “Bullying is an unhealthy and immature coping technique,” she says. “It creates a power dynamic that gives you an illusion of safety—that you are stronger than someone else.”
Children’s behavior is often modeled on that of their parents, caregivers, siblings, or others in close proximity.
“Sometimes, bullying is also a displaced reaction,” Barretto explains. “When children are bullied themselves or experience some form of abuse or control at home, they may try to bully a teacher, school authority, or other students as a way of dealing with the trauma.”
This form of displaced aggression can be particularly challenging for teachers to address, as it often stems from issues outside the classroom.
“They cannot defy at home, so they try to defy authoritative figures who they know won’t have the same reactions as their parents,” Barretto adds.
The Path Forward
While bullying in schools is a complex issue, there are steps that can be taken to protect teachers and ensure a safe learning environment for all.
School administrations must prioritize the well-being of their staff, recognizing that teachers, like students, can be victims of bullying. Teachers, in turn, should feel empowered to speak out about their experiences without fear of retaliation.
Moreover, parents play a crucial role in modeling respectful behavior for their children. Open communication between parents, teachers, and school authorities can help identify and address issues before they escalate into bullying.
For teachers like Ruth, Fatima, and Susan, the joy of teaching and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young students outweigh the challenges they face.
But as bullying continues to rear its head in classrooms around the world, it is clear that more needs to be done to support and protect the educators who dedicate their lives to shaping the future.
As Ruth poignantly puts it, “Teaching is a noble profession, but it’s not always easy. We need to start talking about the challenges teachers face, and we need to support them when they need help.