Bullied Teacher, Bullied Student: How to Recognize the Bullying Culture in Your School and What to Do About It

Derek B. MacDonald is a research associate and ABD Ph.D. in an Adult
Education program through the University of Georgia.

Bullying is a pervasive and damaging problem in classrooms, schools,
communities, and society, creating what the author terms “bullying
culture.” The introduction presents compelling research and statistics
to show the seriousness of this problem in schools and society today.
The four chapters deal with progressive levels of bullying: students as
bullies; teachers and principals as bullies; bullying school culture;
and the bullying society, culminating in a solution to bullying. The
author presents a thorough examination of bullying using bully profiles,
bullies’ targets profiles, types of bullying, and perceptions of
bullying, with each section discussing the different types or forms. Two
of the chapters include survey instruments that can be used to
investigate the extent of personal bullying and the school’s bullying
culture. The book is written at a level most appropriate for university
graduates, which would include not only school administrators and
teachers but also parents and policy-makers.

The theme of power imbalance is pervasive. Although bullying frequently
involves two students, the bullying culture that permeates society is
the mechanism of bullying. Children and youth are exposed to bullying on
many levels. Principals who “run a tight ship” tend to get promoted,
but are likely to have exhibited bullying behaviour. Sexual harassment
is one form of bullying that many adults encounter.

The author has a strong grasp of the bullying literature and supports
his thesis with existing research. The book’s main drawback is the
short conclusion. The cure offered for bullying is the golden rule: we
must respect one another. No research is cited, and there is no
discussion relating the “cure” to bullying (at any particular level)
or to the concept of power imbalance.