TOWARD THE PREVENTION OF VERBAL ABUSE IN
SCHOOLS
by Patricia Evans
It would appear that the frequency of verbal abuse in our
society is on the rise. This is evident in our schools where our
culture is reflected in microcosm. Without doubt, most teachers,
students and administrators have witnessed instances of verbal
abuse on campus.
Why is verbal abuse commonly seen in schools? I think it is, not
only because verbal abuse is endemic in our culture, but also
because in schools a great many different people must
interact--people from different cultures, with different values,
religious beliefs, expectations and levels of maturity. Few have
taken a course in interpersonal communications or learned
effective communications by example in childhood.
Teachers and students, alike, have had to cope with the
"fallout" that results when students routinely accept
verbal abuse as a way of life. Blame for verbal abuse has been
placed on everything from music, videos and movies to
insensitive parenting. But, I believe, ignorance is a primary
cause. Consequently, I believe that students can learn that it
is not an acceptable way of life. It is instead a manifestation
of ignorance.
Most of us wouldn’t be surprised to hear an angry three year
old toddler say, "You’re a poo poo," because mom
says, "No more candy." The child is ignorant of the
silliness of name calling. But when a thirteen year old says,
"you’re a bitch," we must wonder why the teen is
ignorant of the silliness of name calling. Since verbal abuse
frequently precedes physical fighting, I believe that
sensitizing students to this problem and educating them will not
only make our hallways and classrooms more pleasant, but will
also increase every one’s sense of safety, and well being.
It is possible that many people of all ages perpetuate or
tolerate a pattern of abusive behaviors simply because they do
not realize that verbal abuse has different underlying dynamics
than healthy processes of conflict resolution and problem
solving. While strong emotions often surface during healthy
conflict resolution, the underlying intent of both parties in
non-abusive situations is to solve the problem while maintaining
the dignity of both parties. On the other hand, in
verbally-abusive situations, the intent of one party may be to
solve the problem, while the intent of the other is to dominate
and control. I believe that educating faculty and students on
the underlying dynamics of verbal abuse will be a first step in
reducing its frequency, first on our campuses, then, hopefully,
in our community’s homes. To find out about training programs
for your school see Trainings:
Teachers and Students.
