Teacher-Targeted Bullying and Harassment (TTBH), Coping, Wellbeing, and Intention to Leave: A Quantitative Study in Gauteng Schools

Abstract

There has been a growing prevalence of bullying against teachers perpetrated by learners and their parents, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted an exploration into the bullying that South African teachers face from learners’ parents and its effects on various health indicators. While prior research has primarily focused on the experiences of South African teachers being bullied by learners and their parents, using a qualitative methodology, a notable gap existed in examining the effects of teachers being bullied by learners’ parents, using a quantitative approach. This study addressed this gap by examining the impact of teacher-targeted bullying and harassment (TTBH) on teachers’ physiological and psychological wellbeing and whether coping mechanisms could act as a resource that buffered the negative effects of TTBH on teachers’ intention to leave the profession. Using Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) Transaction Model of Stress and Coping, a non-probability sample of 120 Gauteng primary and secondary school teachers (urban, government, private, fee-paying, and non-fee-paying) completed online surveys assessing their experiences of TTBH, its impact on their wellbeing, their intention to leave, and their use of psychological capital as a coping mechanism. Descriptive statistics were used to assess sample demographics, followed by correlation and moderated multiple regression analyses to examine relationships between variables. Results indicated that TTBH was significantly associated with poorer physiological and psychological wellbeing, as well as a higher intention to leave. Psychological capital helped alleviate distress and positively influenced intention to leave, but did not moderate the relationship between TTBH and any of the dependent variables. The study discusses its limitations, practical implications, and recommendations for future research.