Students at Waterford High School, in Portmore, St. Catherine, show their support for peace during one of the 'No Violence in School' tours held last year. - file

Audrey Pottinger, Contributor

There is a growing perception that schools are no longer a safe haven. In this article, I will discuss the findings of three studies that speak to varying forms of violence in our schools, the role played by teachers and children in inflicting violence, and how students feel and behave as victims of violence.

Violence in schools is mainly related to peer-on-peer bullying. This can take the form of verbal, physical or relational aggression, and the use of corporal punishment and other forms of bullying by teachers. While we do not have prevalence rates for bullying, victimisation of students by their peers and teachers seems to be a common occurrence in our schools.

Based on a sample of over 200 students from all types of primary and secondary schools, the most frequent and traumatising experiences are cruel teasing or verbal humiliation, being robbed and being physically attacked. With less frequency, students describe sexually inappropriate behaviour ranging from inappropriate comments, being touched sexually and being forced to have sex.

While most bullying acts are carried out by students, the choice of methods (primarily humiliating and beating up on students), is similar for both peers and teachers. Boys are more at risk for experiencing or witnessing physical violence, and girls for being sexually molested and teased.

Flogging

Flogging by teachers is also common despite being banned by the Ministry of Education (MOE). When teachers fromall types of primary educational settings were surveyed, one of four admitted to flogging students often and one of three to pinching and thumping them. Boys were more likely to be flogged. Despite the frequent use of corporal punishment, less than a quarter of the teachers indicated that beating was effective, and almost half identified negative effects they had seen. These included students becoming oppositional, aggressive, destroying school property, garnering support from their peers against teachers, and becoming 'disconnected' from school activities.

According to teachers, they used corporal punishment out of ignorance or inability to carry ou strategies, or because of personal stress. Teachers with a large class size of over 40 students or who taught in an inner-city community were also likely to rely on flogging.

Children who experience violence in school are not usually limited to violence in this environment. Many children exposed to chronic violence in their community are also beaten regularly at home and school. This pattern of overlapping exposure to violence did not typically result in aggressive behaviours in primary-age school children fighting was reported by approximately 20 per cent of students as a direct response to being victimised.

Feelings of unworthiness

Feelings of unworthiness, inferiority and low self-esteem were prevalent reports along with expressions of depression. Girls who were shunned or isolated from their peers and boys who were sexually abused were likely to report depression. Low self-esteem, identified more in our boys, may be reflecting the disenfranchisement of some children, particularly our boys, feel as they learn from early that they are not worthy of being protected from violence. These students may then 'progress' to delinquent and aggressive behaviours during the adolescent years.

These findings highlight that surviving our school system is not a matter solely of educational triumph. Schools can respond to the increasing violence in theircompounds by developing policies on identifying and responding to bullying by students and teachers. The MOE also needs to enforce existing laws banning flogging.