ABSTRACT
The teacher who holds a student up to ridicule, bullies a student in the gym class, yells at a first grader, or embarrasses or even threatens a student—none of these people belong in the classroom. Intimidators are often people who are used to being in charge and telling subordinates what to do. Sometimes they view teachers not as professionals, but as public servants—with the emphasis on the servant part. Intimidators will sometimes threaten teachers, saying that they will go to the principal or the superintendent or the school board if they don’t get what they want. Parents sometimes overreact by calling the school as soon as the child gets off the bus and tells his story. If they believe their child has been wronged in some way, they may be too angry to engage in the reasoned dialogue.
