MysteryFan3 wrote:
In the case of bullying teachers, look to the principal as the prime mover. People in most groups follow the leader's directives, whether express or implied.
This was certainly the case with me. The principal at the school I attended from ages 4-5 was the one who took me into the bathroom and spanked me on the bare buttocks for not eating quickly enough. Anytime I saw her in the halls I would be scared sh**less, not knowing if I would be punished (for behavior unbeknownst to me) each day.
Then when I was 11-12, the principal of that school helped a few other teachers restrain me on the floor quite a few times. There were a few times I was aggressive, but most of the other times I was being non-violently disruptive, nothing even close that necessitated 3 teachers holding me down on the floor.
You're right, a lot of the abuse tends to start with the higher ups, like principals. This was definitely my personal experience. Which is why the merry go round of hiring and firing staff accused of doing this sort of thing simply isn't enough. The overhaul needs to start at the top, as the changes that occur there will naturally work their way down.