Bullying of Secondary Teachers in Dapitan City Lived Experiences, Challenges, and Institutional Responses

Abstract

Bullying in educational establishments is often theorised and perceived as a problem that plagues students; however, bullying of teachers is an unaddressed, but important problem. The research study will explore the lived experiences of the secondary teachers in the Dapitan City Schools Division which has experienced student-afflicted bullying. The study uses a qualitative phenomenological approach in examining the different types of bullying that teacher face; the verbal type, non-verbal type, and indirect bullying. Information was gathered through in-depth interviews of sampled teachers in secondary schools, which gives a picture of the nature, consequences and coping mechanisms of student-initiated bullying. The results show that the most frequent forms that have been reported include verbal harassment, intentional neglect, offensive behavior, and defiance, which leads to emotional suffering, increased stress levels, and lack of instructional motivation. The respondents complained of humiliating, disrespect, and frustration, and a percentage of them thought quitting because of the continued negative experiences. The lack of a supportive institution and the unwillingness to report cases aggravates the problem. This paper highlights the need to change the policies ensuring safety of teachers in line with the current policies protecting students against bullying. Some of the recommendations are the creation of teacher support systems, institutional intervention strategies and professional development programmes that are aimed at classroom management and conflict resolution. Further studies ought to be conducted among the systemic ramifications of teacher bullying on the educational ecosystem and the relationship between students and teachers, which will help to create safer and more favorable learning environments of both teachers and students.