Lately, I have read several
blogs and
discussions concerning the under-reporting of
crimes in
schools. As both a
school administrator and a
Director of School Safety, this directly impacts my work.
Yesterday I came across this article in the
San Francisco Chronicle "
Teachers learning to file assault complaints". The article covers Connecticut teachers who face problems with being assaulted in schools. It provided a chilling statistic for Connecticut schools. "In 2010-11, the latest
school year data available, there were 181
assaults on
teachers and
school employees in Bridgeport and 1,528
assaults in the state, up from 1,308 in 2009-2010." The article goes on to add more chilling statistics: "There were more than 6,400 reported incidents of physical
violence
against
school employees from 2006 through 2010, according to data
collected by the
State Department of Education. (Connecticut)"
The first response from a person in
denial is, 'That's just in Connecticut.' While it might be hoped for, that is not the case. "Using figures from the
National Center for Educational Statistics,
the study found that 253,100
teachers -- about seven percent -- report
being
threatened with injury, and 127,500 report being
physically
attacked in 2003-04. In 2007-08, according to the
NCES,
the number
threatened had risen to 289,600 and the number
attacked rose
to 154,400. Reported
assaults were more likely in urban districts and
in secondary schools, the data showed." Seven percent of
teachers across the country report being
threatened with injury, and approximately 3.5% reporting being
physically attacked, and it's clear that a major problem exists.
The
American Psychological Association (APA) conducted a study which called
violence against
teachers a silent national crisis, with over 25% of
teachers nationwide reporting being
threatened at
school. A preview of that
study had a quote from the Task Force which conducted the
study, "“These numbers did not differ by
school setting, by gender of the
teacher or by years of
teaching,” said Task Force Chair Dorothy L.
Espelage, PhD, of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign."
The question always arises, "Why don't
teachers report?" Many
teachers are
assaulted by young
students, and they don't want the
student to get into serious trouble. They may not want to get involved in a long, protracted legal procedure. Perhaps they fear retribution, or they may not feel that they have the
administration's support. Sometimes
teachers are dissuaded from reporting the
crime, to help create the illusion that the
school is safe.
This must not be.
School safety is a matter for all in
schools, not just the
children. We cannot attract the best and brightest to the profession of
education if people will fear for their
safety. People cannot perform at their best if they operate in fear. It is up to us, those that dedicate ourselves to the
protection of others, to create an atmosphere of
safety and hope. We cannot stand by as anyone is
threatened or attacked.
Our society is in turmoil, with more and more
children becoming
aggressive. Yet, they are not the enemy. Their
aggressive behaviors are, and it is from those that we must defend the other
children, and the adults whose
safety is our
responsibility.
Sheepdogs protect the
sheep from the
wolves, from within the flock and from outside the flock. We cannot look the other way, we cannot falter, we cannot fail.
Don't accept under-reporting, and don't allow the denial of others to influence your
duty.
Who is with me?
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