Emotional Abuse in the Classroom: Implications and Interventions for Counselors

Abstract

It had taken Jason several weeks to muster the courage to speak to his assigned school counselor. He was at the peak of his humiliation. Every day when Jason entered the classroom, he had to face his second-period teacher, who would make subtle remarks about his culture and the way he dressed. He felt mortified, degraded, and depressed. He was hoping as he entered the counselor's office that she would understand his problem and might consider changing his second-period class so he could avoid that teacher.Sarah has Down syndrome. She is in a general education classroom with a full-time teacher's aide. At times, her teacher gets frustrated with her behavior. The teacher will speak to Sarah in a curt tone, is very impatient, and frequently yells at Sarah when she takes too long to complete her work. Once she told the class that they had to wait for "slow Sarah" before they could go to recess. Sarah feels uncomfortable when the teacher makes these comments.

Power and Curriculum: Engaging all School Stakeholders

“…Public groups such as the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) provide schools with classroom visits and discussions that help students know their rights as Canadian citizens. Inviting such groups for assemblies would be invaluable and would help students avoid victimization (McEachern 2008). Learning opportunities such as these will help stakeholders be aware that students and teachers have clearly defined rights in Ontario.…”

“…As part of a democratic classroom, it is important to have all participants know their rights (McEachern, 2008); a discussion of rights must include both those of the student and the teacher. By understanding and appreciating specific roles, responsibilities, accountability, and rights, teachers are beginning to establish classrooms based on the pillars of democracy.…”

The Effect of Perceived Teacher Behaviors on Students’ Self-Esteem and Attitudes Towards Learning

“…However, disruption, pause or decline in the psycho-social development process can increase the psycho-social predisposition to many long-term behavior and adaptation problems such as low self-worth, damage to self-esteem, deterioration in interpersonal relationships, and suicidal tendencies (Piekarska, 2000;Marlow, Goodman, Meltzer, & Ford, 2013;Fromuth, Davis, Kelly, & Wakefield, 2015). Naturally, exposure to such negative behaviors leads to a change in attitudes toward learning, in other words, inadequacy of learning (Lewis & Riley, 2009), lack of control over one's own life, learned desperation and hopelessness, and the disbelief that learning or education will make any difference in one's own life, etc., and a decrease in interest and willingness to learn (Snoock, 1999;Sava, 2002;McEachern, Aluede, & Kenny, 2008;Goodboy & Bolkan, 2009). Therefore, the decline in academic performance paves the way for many problems ranging from school absenteeism (Slade & Wissow, 2007;Kurtz, Gaudin Jr, Wodarski, & Howing, 1993), drop-out and unhealthy professional orientation.…”

El abuso de autoridad docente: desarrollo de un instrumento de medida

“…Cuando los profesores carecen de los recursos o estrategias que les permiten manejar de forma eficaz los desafíos sociales y emocionales dentro de la clase, el clima del aula se deteriora, y aumentan los conflictos con los alumnos (Mantilla y Díaz, 2015). De este modo, aunque los profesores sean las personas que deban velar por el bienestar de los estudiantes y modelar su aprendizaje proporcionándoles seguridad y confianza (McEachern, Aluede y Kenny, 2008), en algunas situaciones, el rol del profesor como agente protector no se cumple y se dan abusos de poder y otras formas de maltrato psicológico que afectan al bienestar emocional del alumno.…”

“…Con el paso del tiempo, especialmente si ninguna figura de autoridad interviene, el alumno puede comenzar a culparse a sí mismo por el abuso y por consiguiente tener un sentimiento generalizado de inutilidad y desamparo. Las consecuencias del abuso de autoridad docente afectan a varias facetas de la vida del alumno, enmascarándose en ocasiones mediante problemas de conducta y escolares (Lyles, 2014) o interacciones negativas con los profesores que pueden convertirse en personas temibles de las que hay que escapar (McEachern et al, 2008). El alumno puede volverse frio, insensible o duro y puede experimentar ansiedad y fobia hacia la escuela.…”