Teachers Call for Support Against Classroom Violence

Unless you know a teacher, you may not know about classroom violence against teachers. Just in case you're wondering, I do. It is happening, a lot, and it's a real problem. Yesterday's Sunday Edition on the CBC had a documentary about this problem. It was quite chilling.

If you're thinking about thugs and gangs in high school, think again. Teachers are getting attacked by kids in kindergarten and lower grades.

Educators say incidents of verbal and physical violence by students targeting staff and fellow classmates are leaving them exhausted — and they're calling on governments and school boards to provide more support.

Sherri Brown, director of research and professional learning at the Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF), describes the current state as an "escalating crisis."

Last year, the national organization compiled the results of a survey conducted for the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO). The online survey, which polled its 81,000 members, found that 70 per cent of Ontario elementary teachers reported experiencing or witnessing violence during the 2016-17 school year.

Verbal threats, physical assault and incidents involving weapons were among the most frequently reported, according to Brown.

As well as the article on the CBC site, I recommend listening to the documentary, which is in the first hour of the program.