In too many districts, the notion that staff bully students is scoffed at and simply dismissed. There are psychological reports that bare out that bullying is not a mere fiction of overzealous parents and their advocates.
A recent report from the American Journal of Psychiatry revealed that bullying at the hands of teachers was a problem in schools. This study was conducted based on anonymous teacher reporting, and it concluded “that teachers who bully students may have some role in the etiology of behavioral problems in schoolchildren.” That is, teacher bullying leads to children acting out and having disciplinary problems.
In my own practice, I have seen the physical abuse of students, often children on the autism spectrum who have been accosted by staff. One young child had one side of his face badly bruised, another child was injured as he was dragged up stairs, and in another case, a child was kicked in his chest and bruised by his elementary school teacher. Verbal abuse also occurs all too frequently.
Staff does not readily speak up to report issues in school. When staff does speak out, they do so at risk of their jobs, as a speech therapist in New Jersey discovered. The speech therapist, Shirley Graves, and other therapists objected when the administration fraudulently altered IEP documents; services were being documented and not delivered. Graves was fired and others were forced to resign.
The paradox is that teachers and therapists see other staff and administration committing abusive and illegal conduct, but are intimidated into remaining silent at risk of their jobs. While abusive and illegal acts may not be the norm, parents need to be aware that such things occur and are ignored and covered up as part of the culture of schools. Awareness of the peculiar culture of schools is often a key element in undertaking effective advocacy for children with special needs.