There have been a few posters (on behaviour) who are of the opinion that if pupils are constantly rude, abusive or insulting to a teacher it is the teacher’s ‘fault’ if they take it personally or get upset. If pupils shout out hurtful comments, or leave insulting graffiti, or unpleasant notes or drawings for a teacher to see the best thing to do is to ignore and forget it, and hope it stops is the advice. The worst thing is to let the pupils see you are upset.

Wonderful.

I thought of this as I locked up a lad (aged 17) for harassment last week.

A woman had argued with him and his mates when they were loud outside her house late at night.

He’d responded by hurling abuse at her in the street whenever he saw her, smearing dog poo on her front door and dropping abusive notes through her letterbox.

(We couldn’t pin the dog poo on him, but had the evidence for the notes as she’d installed CCTV outside her front door on police advice).

This behaviour got him arrested and he’ll be going to court. (I’ve got a file to do).

The police attitude towards her was one of sympathy. Insults, abuse were the fault of the lad doing it totally. It is not seen as her fault for getting upset at all.

(The law defines harassment as ‘a course of conduct that the perpetrator knows, or ought to know, will cause harassment, alarm or distress.’ This applies to the workplace).

Now, who do posters think is right : the teachers and behavioural advisors who claim it’s the person’s fault for letting insults get to you and upset you, or the law and police who think getting upset when insulted or abused is the total responsibility of the person doing the insulting and abusing?

Or is it the case that as soon as you sign up to be a teacher you lose the usual rights to protection from abuse and the law doesn’t apply when at work? (Which it should).

What do posters think?

garyconyers:

Or is it the case that as soon as you sign up to be a teacher you lose the usual rights to protection from abuse and the law doesn’t apply when at work?

 ..take a deep breath even

 It seems to be fairly usual for schools to deal 'in-house' with behaviour which in other contexts would be regarded as criminal. I am thinking particularly about things like harrassment, as described in the OP, but I have also seen intimidadation of staff by pupils, and I imagine things like theft and assault also fall into this category (although I have been fortunate enough not to experience these first-hand). 

If schools won't deal with these things properly, is there any reason why a teacher as an individual could not involve the police? 

Does it have to be dealt with by the school?

(Apologies for the near-incoherence of this post!)

I think raceybo is right, and, furthermore, it gives the malicious students a sense of power, which is of course exactly what they want.

I think the trick is to get upset but not to show it: not always easy.