School violence is present in every nation, and it covers bullying, physical, sexual and psychological violence. The root cause of this violence lies in the social and gender norms and broader contextual and structural factors like conflict, deprivation, income inequality, and marginalization. If a nation wishes to attain equal education for everybody’s goal, attention must be given to arrest violence in education for attaining the task.
Harvey Shapiro Northeastern University – What are the most common types of violence in schools?
Harvey Shapirois a widely respected and esteemed clinical professor at Northeastern University. He holds a doctorate degree from Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion in Jewish Education in 1996. He has a keen interest in education, philosophy, Hebrew literature, politics, and literary theory. He is fluent in the Hebrew language, and he also studied the subject at The Hebrew University at Jerusalem.
Harvey Shapiro Northeastern University has written several publications when it comes to violence in education. He says that the common forms of violence prevalent in schools today are –
- External violence-this refers to the effects of school or local gangs. A conflict situation arises with fighting and weapons.
- Physical violence- this covers smacking, corporal punishment, hitting, etc
- Psychological violence-Include humiliating comments, threatening students, belittling them, ridiculing them, etc.
- Bullying-involves passing remarks that are hurtful, social exclusion, harm caused physically, teasing, etc.
- Gender and sexual-based violence-this involves reinforcing the acts of gender inequality, etc.
Corporal punishment must be stopped
Corporal or physical punishment has grave consequences on the mental and physical health of the child. Such physical violence has been associated with the slow growth of social skills and contributed to depression, anxiety, a lack of empathy or concern or care for others, and aggressive behavior that can be life-threatening as well.
When it comes to imposing corporal punishment on students, it breeds a lot of hostility, resentment and adversely affects the quality of students’ relationships with their teachers. Moreover, it stops students from thinking or learning freely. They fail to become critical thinkers and make sound decisions that are moral in nature.
Teachers should step in to stop school violence
Teachers need to take the onus to identify triggers and stop the occurrence of violence in schools. They should stop corporal punishment and embrace other methods that are non-violent in nature to discipline the student. Communication is essential when it comes to students with problems. Trained student counselors should be called in to address issues that a student might face. They should be allowed to speak out their fears so that they can overcome the thoughts of aggression, depression, or anxiety that causes them to vent out their uncontrolled feelings in a violent manner.
Harvey Shapiro Northeastern University adds that due to various circumstances, students tend to react in a frustrated manner, and when corporal punishment is imposed,
