Ibrahim Vaqar Alvi is only 4 years old. He has a fever and refuses to go to school on his fourth day of school. His dreams are shattered. When he came back from school the day before, he had tears in his eyes, and complained his teacher had hit him.
Abuse can come in many forms: sexual, physical and emotional. All are equally harmful to human beings, and children especially. Abused children often struggle with psychological problems later on in life, as abuse tends to have a lasting impact on a person.
While teachers were allowed to beat students up until 10 to 15 years ago, now it is against the law. All kinds of abuse at home are equally criminal. Over the past few years, these crimes are increasingly reported in Saudi Arabia.
A recent news article said 12 children died as a result domestic violence in 2012, while there were six in 2011 and five in 2010 who died under similar circumstances. The abusers were usually parents and sometimes the teachers.
Arab News talked with Dr. Ahmad Al-Saleh, consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist at King Abdulaziz Medical City Jeddah about the psychological effects of abuse by teachers on students of different ages.
Alsaleh explained that it is very important to know that children are very sensitive to any kind of abuse or maltreatment. Emotional and physical abuse has a devastating effect on children. Abuse does not only cause immediate visible effects on children, but it commonly extends to affect their psychological and mental wellbeing, and can leave them scarred for life.
The impact of child abuse in schools varies from one victim to the next, depending on several factors. These include the age of the victim, duration, frequency and severity of the abuse, the type of abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual), and the availability of a support system.
As a result of any abuse, a person can develop anxiety disorders, such as phobias, post traumatic stress, depression and eating disorders. The stress of being abused can also lead to school refusal, academic difficulties, aggression, violence and delinquent behavior or drug and alcohol abuse.
“If we would like to manage and prevent this problem, it is very important to understand and manage the factors that would increase the risk of abuse,” said Al-Saleh.
“There are children who suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. These kids can be tough to handle in a classroom, especially to teachers who do not understand the origin of this behavior. We should educate teachers and help them refer these cases to mental health professionals. A collaboration between school, home, and mental health professionals is very important,” he explained.
“It is very important for parents and teachers to understand that child abuse to correct any behavioral problems is not acceptable by any means.”
To increase desirable behavior in students, teachers can use positive or negative reinforcement. In positive reinforcement, the teacher rewards the student for behaving well (e.g. helping the teacher and erase the blackboard) by giving a positive encouragement (e.g. saying “thank you” or giving a sticker to the student). In negative reinforcement the teacher rewards the student behaving as desired (e.g. studying and completing homework) by eliminating an aversive stimulus (e.g. removing the quiz). Both positive and negative reinforcement will increase the probability that the desirable behavior will re-occur in the future.
To decrease undesirable behavior in students, teachers can use positive and negative punishment. In negative punishment the teacher punishes the student for behaving in an undesirable way (e.g. yelling in class) by removing a pleasant incentive (e.g. not allowing the student to play with the computer).
In positive punishment the teacher punishes the student for behaving undesirably (e.g. hitting another student) by adding an aversive incentive (e.g. using timeout). Punishment should never be used as the main discipline strategy, but only as a last resort.
The Educational Ministry has given out strict orders that no one can touch a child regardless of what he or she has done. School authorities can call the parents but under no circumstance do teachers or administrators have a right to harm a student.
Effects of child abuse at school can be devastating
Effects of child abuse at school can be devastating
