Student aggression: Lessons in violence

The horrifying incident of the recent murder of a teacher by her class IX student in Chennai has sent shockwaves across the nation.

Though such an extreme step is an isolated case, incidents of teacher-student violence is common. At times it is the teacher who is the aggressor at others the student.

Incidents of students attacking and hurting each other are also on the rise. Why have schools become such volatile environments? DNA spoke to psychologists and the teaching fraternity to find out.

City-based psychiatrist Dr Darshan Shah feels: "There is a growing intolerance to public authority in the world. Often, parents transmit this attitude to children. Secondly, there is no fear of teachers nowadays. In fact, there is a denigration of the profession."

The education system has become flexible reducing importance of a teacher and educational institution." According to him one thing that will help the situation is constant parent-teacher contact.    

Says psychologist Esha Patnaik who works extensively with adolescents and youth, "When students can't deal with the pressure of not performing well academically some turn to self-harm and commit suicide, others externalise the anger which may lead to such an incident."

"It is a sad day for the teaching profession. Very upsetting," said Uma Narayan, who teaches physics at Mahatma Gandhi International School, when asked about the Chennai incident.

Being a teacher, she feels, that if a child is on the wrong track the teacher should have the freedom to scold him and get him to mend his ways. "Of course, preaching does not work any longer, communicating at their level does," she says. 

One reason violence is rising among teenagers is that they no longer have an outlet in physical play where they could release their pent up aggression, adds Narayan.

Psychologist Dr Prashant Bhimani feels in the Chennai incident the child's emotional quotient was disturbed. Such kids can't control or manage their emotions. He relates the case of a patient who came to him who has changed three schools because of violent behaviour.

He lists the reasons for increasing aggression. "Television and video games instigate violence. Some violent children are victims of domestic violence. Some want to appear rebellious and daring in front of friends and so challenge authority figures. Early childhood schizophrenia could be a cause. Faulty parenting and bad company are others.  Sometimes, aggression they can't show to parents is transferred to teachers," he says.

The vice-principal of Delhi Public School, Bopal, Vandana Joshi feels that there are lifestyle factors that are contributing to violence among children. "In many cases both parents are working and too busy to give children quality time. With nuclear families there is no supervision from grandparents either. Another reason is that the teacher-student bond is weakening. With the net and tuitions, students are not so dependent on school teachers," she says.

What can be done to curb this trend of violence? "Counsellors should help students in anger management. Second value-driven education, yoga and meditation can be introduced in the curriculum," she says.