Dangerous Work

More than half of school principals have experienced physical violence, verbal abuse, gendered violence and sexual harassment in the workplace. Principals from across Australia told researchers that they “felt at risk” and “hated going to work”. One principal was “assaulted by a parent” while another “had a recurring dream that [they were] shot in the head” as a result of the trauma they were experiencing.

Female principals face disproportionate levels of harassment and gendered violence and parents are commonly stalking, harassing, being aggressive and bullying online.

Led by Monash University in collaboration with Deakin University and the University of Sydney, a national study examined the emotional labour of Australian public school principals who tell, in their own words, stories of escalating violence in their communities.

Government school principals and schools are being held solely responsible for educating the majority of the most disadvantaged students in our society, without adequate funding, services and system support. This is a major factor in the escalation of violence in schools.

Drawing on 298 critical incident testimonies from 256 school principals nationwide, the research reveals how principals are increasingly expected to manage physical threats, violence and neglect without adequate government funding, support or recognition.

Lead Monash researcher, Professor Jane Wilkinson, says Australia ranks in the bottom third of the OECD when it comes to equity in schools.

“Decades of underfunding of our government schools means that public-school principals are the proverbial canaries in the coalmine. Public school principals are expected to educate our most disadvantaged students without adequate funding, frontline services, or support,” Professor Wilkinson said.

“Violence in schools is neither inevitable nor acceptable. But principals and highly disadvantaged communities are being forced to endure the emotional and physical brunt of this underfunding that is a key factor in escalating aggression and violence.”

Over half of respondents (64.8 per cent) described a critical incident involving physical violence, threats of violence and/or gendered violence, sexual harassment or sexual abuse. Words used by principals to describe their experiences included fear, scared, vulnerable, afraid and frightened.

8.9 per cent described a critical incident involving inappropriate behaviour from a parent. Examples included stalking, harassment, aggression, physical fights, inappropriate or repeated emailing, starting social media bullying campaigns.

President of the New South Wales Secondary Principals’ Council and principal of Ulladulla High School, Denise Lofts says Australian principals are absorbing the emotional fallout while maintaining professionalism, often at great personal cost to their mental and/or physical health.

“The emotional and physical violence experienced by principals stems from students, parents, staff, and community members. It is increasingly seen as normalised and as some principals describe; ‘just part of the job’. Principals are reporting that bureaucratic hurdles are delaying interventions, leaving them exposed to harm,” Ms Lofts said.

Public schools currently educate the most disadvantaged students in society without adequate resources and support.

One strategy might be to implement clinical, professional, reflective and pastoral supervision for all principals, led by qualified professionals outside the line management structure.

Investment in school-parent and community partnerships programs, with funded training and support, especially in disadvantaged areas, to foster cross-cultural understandings and meaningful and trusting relations of respect and rapport might also work.

Co-author, Professor Lucas Walsh, said principals are bearing the emotional and physical brunt of escalating aggression, often in silence.

“This report calls for a whole-of-government response that recognises emotional labour as central to educational leadership and prioritises the safety, wellbeing and sustainability of Australia’s public-school principals. Their stories are often horrific and we can no longer turn away from them as people and as central figures in schools throughout Australia,” Professor Walsh said.