Victims of educator-targeted bullying: a qualitative study

Abstract

I report on findings emanating from in-depth personal interviews with victims of educator-targeted bullying (ETB). Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the narratives. The findings indicate that the victims of ETB were exposed repeatedly over time to verbal, non-verbal, psychological, and physical abuse during and after school hours. ETB had a negative influence on the victims’ private lives, as well as on teaching and on learning. Lastly, I found that ETB may lead to a breakdown of relations between victims and the bullies’ parents and the members of the community in which schools are situated.

Keywords: bullying; content analysis; ecological theory; educators; South Africa