The majority of complaints to the Teachers Against Bullying helpline are made against school principals, figures show.
The helpline has dealt with more than 220 calls since its foundation in 1999 - 156 of which accused principals of bullying, Teresa McMahon, founder and manager of the teachers' helpline said yesterday.
Callers to the helpline have suggested mandatory training on leadership skills for aspiring and existing principals.
"Being a teacher is very different from being a principal. It seems unbelievable that a teacher can be in a classroom one day and be a principal the next and can be put in such an important position with responsibility for the welfare of so many people without any extra training," said Ms McMahon.
She added that when a principal as opposed to a colleague bullies a teacher, it can have serious ramifications for a teacher's future job prospects because of principals' control of references and their ability to allocate posts of responsibility in schools.
Examples of bullying by principals included the discontinuation of teachers' school duties without explanation, comments at staff meetings being ignored and interference by principals with arrangements made by teachers.
Seán Cottrell, director of the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN) said that bullying was a "human nature irregularity" and that both teachers and principals were capable of bullying and being bullied. Referring to the numerous calls from principals to the IPPN, he said that many newly appointed principals undergo significant degrees of bullying, particularly if they are perceived as an "outsider".