 Teacher
Misconduct
Verbal and
Emotional Abuse in the Classroom
PSPN
We've all heard the stories about certain teachers that yell at
their students, throw things in the classroom or have
negative dispositions with their students. These are
individuals that have chosen to be educators, ... so it
can reasonably be assumed that at some point in time they were
enthusiastic about the prospect of teaching our
children. What happens to that enthusiasm and their love of
teaching?
Well let's examine what the problems could be. Could
teacher's be losing their tempers because of the levels of
disrespect they're forced to tolerate? Could it be the
constant necessity to intervene in arguments between other
students? Could it be the frustration of not being
able to control your classroom for fear of stepping over the
line? Could it be the disappointment and disbelief
that an effort made to contact the parent of a failing
or disruptive child be be met with verbal abuses, or
unveiled apathy? Could it be the exasperation of being
expected to do a job well under conditions that make that
expectation unachievable?
As parents we have to be realistic and honest with ourselves about
all the issues that are involved in "A day in
the life of a teacher." Does that make
it all right for a teacher to yell at our children?
No. Does it make it more palatable for parents when we
feel our children are being mistreated? Not even for a
second. But what is does mean is that if we want to
see improvement in the demeanor of the people hired to educate
our children we have to make sure that they are in
environments that are conducive to teaching
professionally, effectively, and pleasantly.
Is Bullying Going to the Head of
the Class?.....
The frightening aspect of the conditions
that exist within our nation's classrooms are complex to
say the least. Personality clashes can and do exist
between teachers and students.
Often times children are made fun of and ridiculed in
front of an entire class by their teachers. Eventually the
students behavior
that may or may not have initiated these abusive exchanges becomes insignificant.
The feature show in the class becomes for other students
to see whether or not the teacher will
successfully force a child into a submissive posture.
Regardless of how legitimate the teacher's motives may
have been in initiating the reprimand, the
price of the victory pales in comparison to the cost of a
child's self-esteem.
Not
only can these instances of abusive exchanges with
teachers be extensively damaging for the child on the
receiving end, ... they also set a horrific example for
the other children exposed to the exchange.
Students that may already be prone to bully may
consequently feel that not only are they justified in
their own abusive behaviors, but they are sanctioned by
the administration because of what they see in the
classroom.
National Child Prevention Clearinghouse
Emotional
Abuse:
The hidden form of
maltreatment
Schools
(excerpt) A particular form of
systems abuse that is not frequently mentioned in the
literature, is emotional abuse within educational
settings. A number of studies have indicated that a
proportion of teachers commonly use emotional abuse in
conjunction with other punitive disciplining practices
as a means of exerting control (Hart, Germain &
Brassard 1987; Briggs & Hawkins 1996).
While physical punishment has been
banned in most educational settings, emotional abuse
often passes without comment (Briggs & Hawkins 1996).
Briggs and Hawkins (1996), in their book Child
Protection: A Guide for Teachers and Child Care
Professionals, cite studies by Krugman and Krugman
(1984) and Hyman (1985), which found that teachers
emotionally abused children by: overly restricting
access to toilets for very young children; threatening
to tell parents of a child's misbehavior or
unsatisfactory work; rejecting the child or their
work; verbally abusing children; harassing, or
allowing other children to harass children; labeling
children as 'ineducable', 'dumb' or 'stupid';
screaming at children till they cried; and providing a
'continuous experience of failure by setting ... tasks
that are inappropriate for their stages of
development' (Briggs & Hawkins 1996, p.37).
Briggs and Hawkins describe other
'emotionally abusive' actions recorded in the two
studies: pinching, shaking and pulling children by the
ears; using fear-inducing techniques to control
children; and tipping or pulling chairs out from under
seated children. Such behaviors would seem to be more
appropriately labeled as physically abusive,
indicating yet again the difficulties experienced in
developing clear definitions of emotionally abusive
acts.
Finally, Briggs and Hawkins (1996)
highlight as emotionally abusive the failure of
teachers to deal with allegations or suspicions of
child maltreatment, along with the experience of
bullying by peers.
More
Verbal
Abuse of Children
CONSUMER HEALTH INTERACTIVE
What are signs that a child is suffering from verbal abuse?
• Negative
self-image. This is the most common and pervasive effect
of verbal abuse. Your child may say things like, "I'm
stupid," or, "Nobody likes me." Or he may simply seem
withdrawn, sullen, or depressed, all of which can be signs
of a poor self-image. In defining emotional abuse, the
National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse says
that it "attacks a child's ... sense of self-worth."
• Self-destructive
acts. "Cutting" (using razor blades or knives to cut his
own skin) and all forms of self-injury signal a problem, as
do other reckless activities that put your child in danger.
• Antisocial
behavior. The New Hampshire study found that verbally
abused children demonstrated higher rates of physical
aggression, delinquency, and interpersonal problems. Your
child may hit other children, frequently quarrel with his
classmates, or be cruel to (or even torture) animals.
• Delayed
development. The slowdown may appear in your child's
physical, social, academic, or emotional development. He may
have difficulty making friends, fall behind in school, or
engage in regressive acts such as rocking, bed-wetting, and
thumb-sucking.
(More)
What can I do to prevent someone else from verbally abusing
my child or another child?
Always
be aware of other influences on your child. Just because you
have your temper under control doesn't mean that all the
other adults in your child's life do. Teachers, coaches,
babysitters, siblings, older siblings of friends, and even
other children's parents can harm your child by demeaning or
humiliating him. Make a point of asking your child about his
relationships with other adults. Of course, he might not
tell you if someone is verbally abusing him - he might not
even realize it. So you'll want to be on the lookout for
signs of emotional turmoil: Nightmares, bed-wetting, school
phobia, and other signs of excessive anxiety may be part of
the "code" you'll have to crack in order to figure out
what's troubling your child.
If you
feel that another adult is abusing your child or his or her
own child, you can call the National Child Abuse Hot Line at
(800) 422-4453, for advice. If you're certain of the
problem, contact your local Child Protective Services (CPS)
agency to report it. CPS professionals will evaluate the
report, and if they deem it necessary, they will send
someone out to talk with the alleged abuser. CPS will keep
your report confidential, although you can make an anonymous
report if you prefer. (But keep in mind that bogus anonymous
reports are, unfortunately, quite common.)
Sometimes a family counselor or psychologist can assess your
child for signs of verbal abuse. If you think the abuse is
occurring at school, be sure to take your child to be
evaluated by someone independent of the school. Oftentimes
your family doctor or pediatrician can help you with a
referral. Do whatever is necessary to get your child away
from the abuser -- if a P.E. coach is taunting him, for
example, ask that he be placed in a different class. And be
sure to make your concerns known to the principal, director,
league officials, and so on. (More)
Prevent Child Abuse America
Fact Sheet:
(See) Emotional Child Abuse - How is it Identified?
(excerpt)
Although emotional abuse can hurt as much as physical abuse, it can be
harder to identify because the marks are left on the inside instead of the
outside.4 Not surprising, there exist few
well-validated measures of childhood emotional abuse. Clinicians can use a
revised version of the Child Abuse and Trauma Scale (CATS) which targets
measures for emotional abuse.5
Caregivers can also closely observe children’s behaviors and personalities.
Children suffering from emotional abuse are often extremely loyal to the
parent, afraid of being punished if they
report abuse, or think that this type of abuse is a normal way of life.3
Behavioral indicators of an emotionally abused child include inappropriate
behavior that is immature or more mature for the child’s age, dramatic
behavioral changes (disruption of
activities, clinging or compulsively seeking affection and attention),
aggressiveness, uncooperativeness, bedwetting or loss of bowel control (after
a child has been trained), and
destructive or antisocial behavior (being constantly withdrawn and sad).
Furthermore, poor relationships with peers, lack of self confidence, unusual
fears for the child’s age (fear of going
home, being left alone, specific objects), or inability to react with emotion
or develop an emotional bond with others are also indicators. Realistically,
any of the above behaviors may
also be seen in normal children, but a change in pattern of these behaviors is
a strong indicator of emotional abuse.3
(More)
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