Twemlow, S; Fonagy, P; Campbell, C; (2017) Bullying of children by adults: The undiscussables. In: Bradshaw, CP, (ed.) Handbook on bullying prevention: A lifecourse perspective. National Association of Social Workers Press: New York, USA.

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Abstract

Bullying is a significant concern for youths, and unfortunately, sometimes adults act as perpetrators. Although this taboo topic is rarely addressed in the literature or in professional development, this critical yet “undiscussable” issue needs to be more directly addressed in schoolwide prevention programming and in the research. We define adult bullying in this chapter as the use of power to punish, manipulate, or disparage a student beyond the point most would consider reasonable disciplinary procedure. We define undiscussable as an issue that is extremely difficult to articulate and confront. This may trigger tremendous anxiety among group members, which could halt progress the group might make in dealing with it. Everyone tends to know about the problem, yet no one wants to be responsible for having to tackle it. An undiscussable may be rooted in a wide spectrum of school policies and quite possibly extend into many levels of the school’s hierarchy. It is vital that the nature of these undiscussables and how they might be broached are considered when selecting and implementing a program. For example, implementing a program in the hope of eliminating schoolyard bullying without addressing the question of whether teachers may also be bullying students will, at best, have short-term, limited impact. In the current chapter, we explore this complex issue, starting with a focus on teachers who bully and then considering other adults, such as administrators, coaches, and parents, who may use their power to have a negative impact on children.

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