Invisible labour: Principals’ emotional labour in volatile times

National study reveals alarming surge in violence and harassment against Australian public school principals 

Key points

• A national study of 256 public school principals has found over half have experienced physical violence, verbal abuse, gender violence and sexual harassment in the workplace.
• Principals have reported inappropriate behaviour from parents including stalking, harassment, aggression and online bullying.
• Female principals faced disproportionate levels of harassment and gender violence. 

National research exposes the confronting and growing violence experienced by principals in Australian public schools today.

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

Report three which was released this week as part of the Invisible labour: Principals’ emotional labour in volatile times project, investigates the profound toll that rising violence is having on principals’ emotional and physical health and wellbeing.

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.