When Teachers Become Victims: Reverse Bullying and Student Violence
Bullying of teachers by students is mostly analyzed from the perspective of student victims. Yet another phenomenon, quieter but equally concerning, is emerging: teachers being targeted by their own students. Mockery, insults, threats, cyberattacks… the forms of reverse bullying are multiplying and deeply weakening education professionals. In France, as elsewhere, this issue remains underreported, often trivialized, and insufficiently addressed by public policies.
The Forms of Bullying of Teachers by Students
From Daily Mockery to Verbal Abuse
Teachers are sometimes confronted with humiliating behaviors that persist over time: degrading nicknames, imitations, ironic comments in front of the class. This symbolic violence undermines their authority and credibility with students.
Threats and Intimidation
In certain contexts, the relationship shifts toward more severe forms of violence: direct threats, collective pressure, or even damage to personal property (vehicle, teaching materials). Such intimidation aims to create a climate of fear, reducing the teacher’s ability to carry out their mission.
Cyberbullying of Teachers
With the widespread use of social media, bullying extends beyond the school walls. Private student groups organize campaigns of insults, defamation, or the sharing of compromising photos. These digital attacks, visible to a wide audience, directly affect teachers’ professional and personal identity.
The Psychological and Professional Impact on Teachers
A Silent Suffering
Reverse bullying deeply affects psychological balance. The teachers concerned report a loss of self-confidence, a daily fear of entering the classroom, and a feeling of isolation from the institution. The resulting stress can lead to anxiety, sleep disorders, and depressive symptoms.
Field Testimonies
Union surveys reveal that some teachers leave their positions or request urgent transfers to escape a hostile environment. Others, lacking institutional recognition, develop a sense of guilt, convincing themselves that they are responsible for the situation.
An Increased Risk of Professional Disengagement
The impact is not limited to the personal sphere. Bullying undermines the relationship to the profession: loss of motivation, increasing absenteeism, and disengagement from teaching projects. In the long term, this fuels professional dropout, and in some cases even forced career changes.
Consequences on Teaching Quality and the School Climate
A Weakening of Authority
When a teacher is publicly challenged by their students, the entire classroom dynamic is disrupted. Pedagogical authority is weakened, and the transmission of knowledge becomes secondary to managing behavior.
A Contagious Effect on the Educational Climate
Some European countries offer inspiring models. In Finland, the KiVa program has transformed the role of teachers by providing them with precise intervention protocols, pedagogical tools, and continuous support. In Norway, training systematically includes conflict and school violence management as part of initial education. These approaches show that in-depth, sustained, and mandatory training enhances teachers’ capacity to act and significantly reduces bullying situations.
A Deterioration of the School–Family Relationship
The tensions linked to these situations sometimes affect dialogue with families. Some parents side with their children, fueling conflicts instead of helping to resolve them. The teacher then finds themselves isolated, caught between their students and the students’ legal guardians.
An Underestimated Phenomenon
Low Media Coverage and Institutional Recognition
Unlike bullying between students, reverse bullying remains a blind spot in French educational policies. The few available data come from union surveys or occasional studies, without any real national strategy for prevention and support.
International Comparison
In other countries, the issue is addressed more effectively. In the United Kingdom, specific measures to protect teachers from threats and verbal assaults have been integrated into educational policies. In Australia, pilot programs aim to strengthen teachers’ resilience and preparedness against cyberattacks organized by students. These initiatives demonstrate that a proactive approach is possible.
Recommendations to Better Protect Teachers
Establishing a National Observatory
A dedicated statistical monitoring system would make it possible to measure the true extent of the phenomenon and to better guide institutional responses.
Strengthening Initial and Continuing Training
Training teachers in conflict management and in identifying signs of reverse bullying is a key lever. These skills should be integrated into teacher education programs and strengthened through ongoing sessions adapted to the realities of the field.
Creating Psychological and Legal Support Mechanisms
The establishment of listening units, combined with psychological support, would provide a safe space for victimized teachers to speak out. In addition, systematic legal assistance should be guaranteed in cases of threats or cyberattacks, so that teachers are not left alone to face complex procedures.
Holding Schools and Families Accountable
Schools must develop clear protocols for managing reverse bullying. Families, for their part, should be involved in prevention and understand that the teacher’s authority is an essential condition for students’ well-being and success.
Conclusion
Reverse bullying is a reminder that school violence is not limited to students alone. When a teacher becomes a victim, the entire educational structure wavers: a deteriorated school climate, weakened authority, and compromised teaching quality. Recognizing this phenomenon, measuring it, and addressing it is imperative to preserve not only the mental health and professional stability of teachers, but also the resilience of the school institution itself. Turning the classroom into a space of mutual respect requires collective awareness and concrete action to protect those who educate as well.