When Behaviour Crosses the Line: Students and Parents Targeting Teachers

Description

When Behaviour Crosses the Line: Students and parents targeting teachers explores the growing challenge of online behaviours directed at school staff that are increasingly impacting wellbeing, confidence, retention, and school culture.

Drawing on frontline incident response work with schools and families across Australia, this session will examine how harmful behaviour towards teachers is evolving, including online harassment, intimidation, coordinated parent behaviour, social media targeting, complaints escalation, boundary crossing, and student behaviours that extend beyond normal classroom conflict.

Importantly, the session moves beyond theory to focus on practical response pathways for schools. We will explore why these incidents are often difficult to manage, where schools commonly feel stuck, and what supportive, proportionate, and defensible responses can look like in practice.