Not just the playground: Adult bullying in the K-12 workplace

This non-experimental, explanatory, quantitative research study surveyed K-12 educators and other K-12 school employees to gather data about negative school workplace climate using the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R). Through the NAQ-R and other demographic survey questions, the researcher studied the prevalence and characteristics of adult-on-adult bullying in the K-12 workplace. Categories of Emotional Intimidation, Workplace Intimidation, and Physical Intimidation were identified and regressions were completed to analyze results against a study by Einarsen, Hoel, and Notelaers (2009). Using R. J. Bies\u27s four categories of interactional justice, the characteristics of adult bullying in the K-12 workplace were identified and analyzed to measure statistically significant relationships. Utilizing Survey Monkey, over 2,460 Michigan K-12 educators and staff were asked to anonymously complete a 46-question online survey with 324 completing the entire survey. Demographic comparisons were made to data available through the Michigan Department of Education. The survey respondents (N = 324) indicated that 27.8% of these school district employees had been bullied by another adult, at a frequency level from infrequently to daily, during the first 7 months of the 2016-2017 school year. Results demonstrate that school administrators and school boards need to recognize and proactively address this issue through policy, procedures, training, prevention, enforcement, and positive resolution to provide a safe, non-threatening environment in which to work and learn

An Examination of Adult Bullying in the K-12 Workplace: Implications for School Leaders

The issue of bullying in K-12 schools usually brings images of students to mind, but a recent quantitative study of a sample from K-12 school personnel in Michigan showed that 27.8% of adults in the K-12 workplace consider themselves the target of an adult bully. This study calls for school leadership to recognize and proactively address the issue of workplace bullying in K-12 schools through policy, procedures, training, prevention, enforcement, and positive resolution to provide a safe, non-threatening environment in which to work and learn