The days of teachers getting an apple have been replaced with verbal abuse, racial and sexist slurs, repeated intimidation, threats of physical violence, vandalism of personal belongings and persistent classroom disruption. There is an increase of students who demonstrate disrespectful behavior to teachers, youth workers and other school staff in schools worldwide.
Ontario Secondary School Teacher's Federation
In 2005, the Ontario Secondary School Teacher's Federation published a survey showing that 38% of all teachers are reporting being a victim of a student's disrespectful behavior.
This study found that in most cases women and supply teachers take the brunt of the violence. Surprisingly, teachers in elementary schools and those in rural Ontario tend to be victims more frequently that their colleagues in large urban areas.
Other findings in this study include:
- 82% of teachers experienced repeated disruptions and disrespectful behavior.
- 41% have had personal belongings stolen or damaged.
- 27% of teachers have been physically assaulted.
- 16 % are verbally abused.
- 11% have been subjected to repeated racial, sexual and religious slurs.
Cyber Bullies
In 2007, a press release by COMPAS research revealed that 84% of educators in Ontario have experienced cyber bullying which includes harmful gossip, using the Internet to criticize one's appearance, and even making threats of physical harm. One out of five of the respondents reported that cyber bullying contributes to teachers leaving the education field.
Video Proof
There are some YouTube videos with dates unknown, that show graphic attacks on teachers. A Baltimore, Maryland teacher was devastated when she asked a female student to sit down and behave. The student approached the teacher and hit her. A fight erupted between two other students and in the process, this teacher was brutally attacked. In a news interview, as seen on YouTube, the teacher says schools are no longer safe. She states, “Too many times this has happened at this school and other schools and nothing is being done.” She and other teachers are at a loss how to deal with this epidemic.
Teachers Worldwide
On April 6, 2009, the BBC reported that four in ten British teachers have been verbally or physically abused by a pupil's parent. Of the 1,000 teachers surveyed, 250 of them reported that they were attacked by a student. Over a third of teachers in primary schools are experiencing physical aggression, compared to 20% in secondary schools. One teacher was quoted in the article as saying, “People often underestimate that young children can be as violent and intimidating as the older ones.”
Even China is experiencing an increase in disrespectful and violent students. Earlier this year, a YouTube video title “Beijing Boy” shows two students abusing a 70 year old teacher which created an Internet controversy in China. Beijing News reported that this video shows a male student forcefully pulling the teacher's hat over his face and another student tossing a bottle toward the 70 year old.
Solutions
Violence in schools, not just students against students, but students against teachers is becoming a serious problem that doesn't have any fast and easy solutions. Teachers being abused is a fact of life in classrooms and it shouldn't be the case.
Politicians, school administrators, teachers and parents all need to be actively involved in working on solutions and in particular, the lost art of respect, needs to be taught in the home.
Karen Stephenson - Karen has written for several newspapers and print media in addition to many online publications. She holds a B.A. in English and an ...
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