Irrational Approaches To Relationships In Schools

Public schools do not utilize a system to help students define and evaluate acceptable behavior, so students do not have a way to develop and evaluate good and bad behavior. They are made aware when they break rules. Having rules without outlining positive behavioral expectations only reinforces those students that do not follow rules.

Whose job is it to teach children what constitutes good and bad behavior? Do you think the school has a responsibility to teach students morality? Schools take a neutral stance regarding morally charged issues. When a teacher entertains a student’s right to express hurtful messages without challenging these negative views, he or she is indirectly endorsing violence.

Students who had engaged in bullying, physical attacks, and theft would have constituted the majority of the negative behaviors observed in a school setting. This is a factor in the school setting that contributes to the irrational thoughts of the student that are victimized. Have you ever been picked on in school? When students are on the receiving end of these hurtful behaviors, they sometimes go through extensive worry and anxiety; all factors that impacts learning and rational thought processes.

The National Center for Education Statistics presented in 1993 that more elementary school children (29%) worried about being victims at school than senior high school students (20%). The NCES also reported that 73% of students in assigned public schools and 71% in public schools of choice reported having knowledge that either bullying, physical attack, or robbery was occurring in the school compared to 45% of private school students in 1993. 12% of the students in assigned public school versus 7% in private schools stated they have personally experienced crime or threats in their school. 34% of middle or junior high students were being victimized in school as opposed to 20% of high school students. The statistics showed that 12% of middle or junior high students reported being bullied at school, which was twice the rate of high school students. Students entering high school have the lowest rates of bullying behavior (6%), and worry less about being bullied (20%) than elementary and middle school students. 8% of students in high school presented being personally victimized.

In a public school’s system of discipline, personnel carry out punitive measures when students do not follow rules and guideline. Detentions, suspensions, and expulsions are the main disciplinary measures in this system. There are occasions when a student needs to be protected from another student, especially in extremely volatile situations. In these cases, a student may need to be expelled from the school. Students are not taught coping and problem-solving skills in this type of system. The victim’s anger and frustration can accumulate due to his or her irrational views concerning the problem, which increases the threat of violent acts. The punitive measures do not provide a rational means to resolve conflict and hurt.