We are all stressed out; Parents cyber bullying teachers has now become an issue

BY PAUL JUNOR

“This harassment is a whole other level.”

Did you hear the report by CTV News on Thursday, December 13th, 2020 about the harassment of an elementary teacher?

The teacher who has twenty years of teaching experience told CTV News about her online experiences. She explained that parents would show up online to raise issues with respect to the daily lesson, or the way something was taught.

She states, “They come on camera with hostility,” in addition to raising their voices and yelling. She reported that as a result of the abusive treatment, she ended up taking a medical leave. She stated, “This harassment is a whole other level.”

Many of the school boards in the Greater Toronto Area have policies in place to prevent the bullying not just of students but also teachers. The Ontario Ministry of Education mandates that school boards have policies in place to address the issue of bullying.

According to the Ministry of Education, “Bullying is aggressive behaviour that is typically repeated over time. It is meant to cause harm, fear, and distress or create a negative environment. The different forms include: physical, verbal, social, written, cyber bullying or electronic.”

Cyber bullying is one of the most insidious which:

• Is used to upset or threaten; it embarrasses another person
• Uses emails, cell phones, text messages and social media to threaten, harass, embarrass, exclude or damage reputation and friendship
• Includes put downs, insults and can also involve spreading rumours, sharing private information, photos or videos or threatening to harm someone

Bruce Campbell, communications manager of DPCDSB told CTV News on Thursday, December 17th, 2020 that, “Not everyone complied with direction or suggestion. Reminders and other measures may need to be taken to ensure that people comply.” He states further, “the behaviour is despicable. I know that people are on the edge, but the teachers are really trying the best they can. They are trying to make lemonade out of lemons. Parents need to realize this is a new situation no matter how you look at it.”

This behaviour does affect students who witness it. Some see this attack on teachers and may think that it’s allowed. “If my mom is doing it, and dad is doing it, then I can do it too.”

Jamie Thom, vice-president with the Elementary Teachers of Toronto states, “in some cases there are unwarranted interruptions that detract from the lesson which the teacher is trying to engage in, and in some cases the behaviour is abusive and harassing. We’ve had teachers call us in tears.”

The Ministry of Education has not taken steps to address the online abuse of teachers. It has left it up to the school boards to remind parents of their online code of conduct.

This is not good enough.

The fact that so many teachers are facing additional stress because of the demands of virtual learning/online schooling has made cyber bullying an extra stressor. The emotional health, mental wellness and psychological safety of teachers are crucial to ensure that students are able to learn in an environment free from abuse of their teachers. We have to always remember; teachers’ working conditions have a direct impact on students’ learning conditions.