Term Paper: Child Abuse in Schools

Sample Term Paper

Words 1,233

Three types of child abuse are present in schools: “emotional, physical and sexual.” (qtd. in McEachern, Aluede & Kenny 4) “Of these three, some have suggested that emotional abuse is the most devastating.There are no actual statistics on the number of students in schools who have experienced emotional abuse, although some believe that it is fairly widespread.

More attention in the literature has been given to sexual abuse of students by teachers perhaps because this type of abuse is more easily documented or suspected and receives more media attention than emotional abuse. Moreover, emotional abuse in schools seems to be a function of the socioeconomic status of the school population, with children from more impoverished backgrounds at a higher risk for this abuse, although those from a higher socioeconomic status are not always immune. (qtd. in McEachern, Aluede & Kenny 4)

The following anecdotes from Emotional Abuse in the Classroom: Implications and Interventions for Counselors represent what sometimes takes place in classrooms:

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. (McEachern, Aluede & Kenny 1)

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. (McEachern, Aluede & Kenny 1)

Emotional abuse by the teacher is sometimes the most serious form of abuse because teachers take on the role of parents during school time. If emotional age begins from an early age these children can face self-esteem issues and feel incompetent. These students can become fearsome of teachers and worry more about being adequate in class than performing well academically.

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