Mental violence against children at school: causes and types. What is psychological violence

Psychological violence at school - myth or reality?

In an educational institution, a teacher is one of the key figures influencing the mental and somatic health of children. Various educational paradigms focus teachers on creating a comfortable developmental environment for children, the ability to build constructive interaction with students both during lessons and in extracurricular activities (at the beginning of the 21st century, student-centered learning was in the lead, and in recent years the competency-based approach has been gaining strength in education).

Unfortunately, our schools are still far from implementing the principles of humanism and a tolerant attitude towards the most vulnerable and unprotected category of the population - children.

The facts of psychological violence in educational institutions are not hidden by either adults or children, and they are expressed in threats against the student, deliberate isolation of the student; imposing excessive demands on the student that are not age appropriate; insult and humiliation; systematic unfounded criticism of the child, leading him out of emotional balance; demonstrative negative attitude towards the student.

Psychological violence committed by a teacher in the form of sarcasm, ridicule, ridicule, humiliation of the individual leads to functional changes in the child’s health and alienation from school. Numerous studies by scientists have shown that violent actions by teachers in primary schools lead to a lower manifestation of children’s abilities and their social incompetence. Such violence gives rise to problems in the behavior of children - aggression, feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, and causes stress in the child, similar to the effect of trauma and physical violence.

Scientific publications reflect some of the characteristics of a teacher’s personality that contribute to the occurrence of violent acts against students. These include: rigidity, desire for dominance, anxiety, rapid irritability (especially in response to provoking behavior of the child), low self-esteem, depression, impulsiveness, dependence, low level of empathy and openness, low resistance to stress, emotional lability, aggressiveness, isolation, suspiciousness .
Stress, “burnout” and professional deformation of the teacher distort the objective picture of the student’s behavior, lead to a negative perception of any situation of “disobedience”, and become a trigger for “showdown”. Children suffering from teacher violence develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress and develop an inferiority complex. In elementary grades, such students project violence in the form of aggression towards animals and peers, and in adolescence, teachers themselves become their targets.

An analysis of this problem in schools showed that teachers have underestimated ideas about the harm and consequences of psychological violence towards students. Many teachers believe that more harm is caused to a child in the case of physical violence than verbal violence. Life shows something else - child suicides are more often associated with long-term repeated emotional and social forms of violence, gradually or spontaneously weakening the fragile psyche of a minor.

As part of the global campaign “16 days without violence,” the Ombudsman for Children’s Rights in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug conducted surveys (using the “random sampling” method) and conversations with students on the problem of psychological violence in eight schools. A total of 386 students aged 13 - 17 years participated. The results were disappointing: this problem exists in educational institutions (14.5% of respondents experienced insult or humiliation from teachers once, 12% of children several times). Students aged 13-15 years, who are at the peak of adolescence, react more vulnerable to themselves.
A high level of psychological violence is also observed in relationships between adolescents (every fourth child has experienced repeated humiliation and insults from peers).

The small number of affirmative answers in the “parents” column indicates that in families various types of psychological violence from parents and relatives to children are not perceived as not corresponding to the norm. In the system of conventional norms, in the “friend-foe” relationship, all grievances are endured more acutely, more severely, and leave an indelible mark on the child’s mental health.

Very often, some childhood problems overlap with others. A student who experiences difficulties in learning and communicating with classmates becomes very sensitive to the emotional reactions of the teacher. Any demand on his part that is not consistent with the child’s expectations is perceived as denial, ill will, or bias. It should also be taken into account that in a child’s understanding, psychological violence is a purely individual construct, if the fact of violence is isolated. In situations of mass “rejection” of children in the “teacher-student” system, it is necessary to look for the reason in the personality of the teacher, his teaching methods and style of interpersonal interaction.

The Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) states that “the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, requires special protection and care, including adequate legal protection, both before and after birth.” In the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), in Art. 19, it is written in black and white: “States Parties shall take all necessary legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical and psychological violence, insult or abuse, neglect or neglect.” In the Law of the Russian Federation “On Education” (1992), in Art. 15, clearly states: “discipline in an educational institution is maintained on the basis of respect for the human dignity of students, pupils, and teachers. The use of methods of physical and mental violence against students and pupils is not allowed.” In our schools, contrary to all legal acts, is this allowed?

There is only one conclusion: only a conscious perception of violence in school as a phenomenon, knowledge about various types of violence, the mental health of the teacher, moral judgments of teachers, their values, expectations and behavior, as well as legal competence, can become a preventive barrier to any type of violence against children.
Every case of inhumane treatment of a child is on the conscience of an adult who has crossed the line of what is permitted.

Commissioner for Children's Rights in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug
T.E. Gasheva

Generally speaking, excellently written.
The total dysfunctionality and tendency to violence, due to pathological character traits, of a significant part of the teachers was revealed. The issue of conducting a psychiatric examination of teachers is extremely relevant, because mental violence in schools is widespread and is perceived by teachers themselves as a method of education and maintaining order.
Thus, they break the psyche of children from primary school age, undermine their motivation to study, hinder their socialization and simply destroy the mental health of children.

And this article clearly highlights what constitutes violence on the part of women in power against the children entrusted to them:

A huge drawback of the modern family and school is the lack of teaching schoolchildren the methods and practice of psychological self-defense. But there are any number of practices of psychological violence in a child’s life - both in the relationships between teachers and students, and in the relationships between children and parents, and in the relationships between children.

Relations between adults and children, due to their constant one-pointedness, embed stable patterns of subordination in the psyche of adolescents. These are two types of schemes. The first type is submission, justified by the natural distribution of roles. It arises in life wherever, with large differences in competence, the right to determine methods of action is given to the more competent party. For example, the client does not interfere in the process of tailoring, in the use of scissors by a hairdresser, or in the preparation of food by restaurant chefs. Likewise, an adult is more competent than a child, and this gives rise to natural submission.
The second type of child subordination to an adult is fundamentally different from the first. This is a completely unjustified and unpaid submission, which at school and at home can sometimes be very similar to slavery.

Paragraph 6 of Article 15 of the Law “On Education” reads:
"Discipline in an educational institution is maintained on the basis of respect for the human dignity of students, pupils, and teachers. The use of physical and mental violence in relation to students, pupils not allowed".

Human dignity is one of the main foundations of human rights. It happens that people (children and adolescents especially) cannot identify a violation of human rights, but feel humiliated. In any case, when we feel a violation of human dignity, we can talk about a violation of human rights. All human rights and freedoms are, in one way or another, related to human dignity. Therefore, it is very important to identify psychological violence in children both at school and in the family and to give this concept a clear definition.

Physical abuse is any non-accidental injury to a child under 18 years of age by a parent, relative, or other person. These injuries can result in death, serious (requiring medical attention) physical or mental impairment, or developmental delays.
Mental violence is an impact on the human psyche through intimidation and threats in order to break the victim’s will to resist, to defend their rights and interests.
Psychological (emotional) violence is periodic long-term or constant mental influence of parents (guardians) or other adults on a child, leading to the formation of pathological character traits or inhibiting the development of personality.

Psychological violence is:

Rejection of the child, open rejection and constant criticism of the child;
. insult or humiliation of his human dignity;
. threats against a child;
. deliberate physical or social isolation of a child, forcing him to be alone;
. presenting demands to a child that are not appropriate for their age or abilities;
. lies and failure to fulfill promises by adults;
. a single harsh physical impact that caused mental trauma in a child.
. accusations against a child (swearing, screaming);
. belittling his successes, humiliating his dignity;
. prolonged deprivation of a child’s love, tenderness, care and security from parents;
. committing violence against a spouse or other children in the presence of a child; child abduction; exposing a child to immoral influences;
. inflicting pain on pets to intimidate a child

What does psychological violence lead to and how does it manifest itself?:

Delay in physical and speech development, growth retardation (in preschoolers and primary schoolchildren);
. impulsiveness, explosiveness, bad habits (nail biting, hair pulling), anger;
. attempts to commit suicide, loss of meaning in life, goals in life (in adolescents);
. pliability, pliability;
. nightmares, sleep disturbances, fears of the dark, people, fear of anger;
. depression, sadness, helplessness, hopelessness, lethargy;
. neglect, lack of care for children - inattention to the basic needs of the child in food, clothing, housing, medical care, supervision;
. does not grow, does not gain appropriate weight or loses weight, the child constantly goes hungry, begs or steals food;
. abandoned, unattended, does not have suitable clothing or housing;
. no vaccinations, needs dental services, poor skin hygiene;
. does not go to school, skips school, comes to school too early and leaves too late;
. tired, apathetic, behavioral deviations, illegal behavior.
If your child (teenager) tells you that they are being abused, then:
. Trust him. He will not lie about the bullying he experienced, especially if he tells it very emotionally, with details; the emotions correspond to the state he experienced.
. Don't judge him. After all, another person committed violence, and your child suffered.
. Listen carefully, calmly and patiently, showing that you understand the severity of his suffering.
. Don’t downplay his pain by saying that “nothing bad happened, everything will pass...”.
. Do not reject him if, when he turns to you, he is met with condemnation, fear, anger, something that can cause him a deeper wound than the violence itself.

Now it’s time to talk about what educational violence is and what serious consequences it can lead to for a child.

Violence against a child is any action that harms his physical and mental health and jeopardizes his well-being.

With physical violence, everything is more or less clear - if a teacher beats children, this will not go unnoticed by parents, school administration and social workers. The professional suitability of such a specialist will quickly be called into question, and battery may become a reason for initiating a criminal case.

Sexual violence is more difficult to detect because victims are often reluctant to report the crime. However, proper informing of children and competent sex education help them to correctly assess what is happening and inform adults so that the culprit is punished.

Cases with psychological violence are sometimes even more complicated - even if the child reports it directly, his complaint may be ignored, and the teacher’s actions may be justified. In the case of emotional influences, it can be difficult to determine the boundaries of what is acceptable, because many “old school” teachers, and often some parents, do not find anything wrong in yelling at a child (“what’s the big deal?”) or deliberately humiliating him ( “But he won’t grow up to be a nurse”).

“I took a file and wrote down the dates and times of the times I was harassed. I took this folder to the school principal. He said, “Son, you have too much free time if you have time to write in these folders. I have more important things to do than deal with what happened two weeks ago.” I told him, “I just wanted you to have an idea of ​​what happens every day, all the harassment and abuse.” He took the folder and threw it in the trash.”

Student from North America

Source: UN website

How does psychological violence manifest itself?

Here are some ways emotional abuse can occur in the classroom. After considering them, the teacher will be able to draw conclusions about whether he is demonstrating aggressive and offensive behavior towards his own students.

Attentiveness to timbre and volume is inherent in human neurobiology. With the help of loud alarm cries, our distant ancestors warned each other about danger, and with a threatening roar they signaled the beginning of a fight with a relative. Therefore, when someone screams nearby, we immediately “catch up”: the heartbeat accelerates, the adrenaline level rises. A teacher's screams can produce a very depressing impression, fraught with mental trauma - especially if it is not customary in the child's family to raise their voice.

The voice itself is the most powerful tool of influence in the pedagogical arsenal, so voice control is very important. If you doubt that your listeners are reading your intonation correctly, it may make sense to take a few classes in stage speech or consult a psychologist.

2. angry facial expression

It may seem like a small thing, but children are very sensitive to emotions - they not only recognize them instantly, but also react quickly and directly. The aggressive, angry face of an adult can make a child freeze in horror. This also includes body language: clasped hands, sudden movements, “pressing” posture of the overseer.

3. insults

The idea that a teacher shouldn't call children names seems too obvious, but it still happens regularly. “You’re stupid”, “Are you completely stupid?”, “You’re crazy” - all these statements are far from harmless. And if they are accompanied by signals from the points above, this is already a full-fledged psychological attitude. And very negative. You simply expressed your emotions due to a specific situation, and the child may sincerely believe that he is a clueless, worthless fool. By the way, if this is all true, then there is no point in such a child trying to study your subject.

4. incorrect criticism

Negative characteristics can only be given to the child’s actions (if they deserve it), but not to the child himself. Of course, evaluation is necessary for self-assessment, but we evaluate what a person has done or not done, not his personality.

How then can you scold students and evaluate their behavior (which also often leaves much to be desired) if “the teacher is not allowed to do anything”? Use expressions that indicate specific behavior: little effort was put in here, you can try harder here if you want to achieve more. And even more so, you shouldn’t make any comments at all about the child’s appearance and his manner of speaking, or mention his relatives or the family’s level of wealth.

5. humiliation

A first-grader also has honor and dignity. If you do not recognize them as a child from an early age, this will prevent the formation of healthy self-esteem. A seven-year-old person wants about the same thing as you - respect from others, recognition of his successes, self-realization.

How would you feel if the head of a method association ordered you to stand on a stool for not preparing your plans or sent you to a corner for talking to a colleague?

You should never make a child afraid of shame or deliberately make him feel ashamed. Shame is a destructive emotion that makes a person feel small, unworthy and pathetic, and ultimately dreams of ceasing to exist (“fall through the ground”). Healthy competition is good, because other people's successes motivate and inspire. However, you should never deliberately humiliate some children over others, no matter for what purpose this is done, put pressure on students’ weak points and use their personal information to your advantage.

6. sarcasm

Maybe you have a great sense of humor and sarcastic remarks are your thing. However, there is an obvious difference between subtle jokes and shame-inducing humiliation (see previous point).

It’s easy to disguise outright insults under irony and sarcasm, because at any moment you can say that you were just joking. This is one of the behavior strategies of school bullies. The same ones who try to convince you during recess that “playing dog” (throwing a taken thing over the victim’s head) is just entertainment that is equally enjoyed by all participants.

For example, a physical education teacher shouts “I’ll put buckets on your heads!” and sincerely believes that if he does not actually intend to carry out his threat, it means nothing.

Aggressive threats and a calm forecast are not the same thing. “If you do not pass the Unified State Exam with a score of 91 or higher, you will not be able to enter this university,” this is food for thought that does not contain a threat. After all, there are many universities. And here is the saying: “If you don’t pass the Unified State Exam with 91 points, you will become a pathetic loser, get drunk and die under the fence!” says more about your emotions than your teenager's future.

8. biased attitude

Some teachers divide students into favorites and those who can be taken out on. This approach is unethical in itself and harms both the first and the second. By the way, even the wrong kind of praise can cause harm. And by condoning flattery and ingratiation, we develop not the best character traits in children.

9. inattention

Lack of empathy in itself is not violence, but it often leads to it. In response to your comments, does the student turn to stone, silently refusing to fulfill the request? It's easy to take this as disrespect and become even more angry. But perhaps you are not being ignored at all, but the student is simply paralyzed by fear. In a dangerous situation, all living beings, including humans, involuntarily react in two main ways: they follow the “fight or flight” reflex or freeze, unable to move.

Empathy helps to perceive the state of others and choose a line of behavior that is not associated with emotional pressure. In this case, you should dispel the student's fear and show that you are a person who can be trusted, and not the Scarecrow from the Batman comics. Then the task will be completed.

Why is emotional abuse in school harmful?

Pedagogical violence leads to fears and neurotic conditions, has a bad effect on academic performance, stimulates aggressive behavior and can cause psychological trauma, depression and PTSD.

Violence does not “build character” at all. Following this logic, it would be necessary to recognize that children with the strongest character are those who have become victims of crime or constantly face violence in a criminalized environment. In fact, such children certainly cannot serve as an example for “today’s children at home, at whom it is no longer possible to shout at them.” What does not kill us does not always make us stronger - more often it simply traumatizes the psyche.

Systematic insults inevitably result in anger and escalation of internal aggression. Bullying, hooliganism, bullying and harassment are all consequences of authoritarian violent relationships in schools, and teachers who behave in similar ways with children only perpetuate these problems.

How to prevent it?

The general answer is to look after yourself and create a healthy atmosphere in the teaching and student community that allows you to raise the issue and draw attention to it. It is useful to discuss the topic of educational violence in the classroom (or at home, if you are a parent).

Three signs that can be hung several meters apart. One sign with the inscription "AGREE", another with the inscription "DISAGREE" and the third with the inscription "NOT SURE".

what to do:

Read statements about violence in schools and ask participants to stand next to a sign that represents their opinion. Invite the participants of each resulting group to justify their opinion. The most important thing is that anyone can switch to a different sign if they hear something that makes them change their point of view.

Every month, except for summer, there is a scandal in Russia related to the mental or physical violence of a teacher against students - one list of such stories will occupy a newspaper page. The details are wild: the teacher wrote a grade to the first grader...

Every month, except for summer, there is a scandal in Russia related to the mental or physical violence of a teacher against students - one list of such stories will occupy a newspaper page. The details are wild: the teacher wrote a grade on the first-grader’s forehead after learning that he had forgotten his diary; the teacher took the child out of the office and hit him in the stomach. One teacher stuck chewing gum to a girl’s hair, another threw a student off a chair, a third beat children with a ruler, and a fourth locked first-graders in a closet.

The noisy cases that have reached the court, the prosecutor's office and the press are the tip of the iceberg. According to the Children's Right Foundation, teacher violence in schools affects 20% of children - one in five.

On March 1, the Moscow prosecutor's office proposed creating a nationwide database of teachers who were found to have committed violence against children.

All the examples below are Moscow, fresh, from decent schools.

Details are told extremely reluctantly for the press and only under the condition of complete anonymity: such wounds do not heal for a long time.

Ordinary stories

“The physical education teacher forced the first-graders, who did not have a uniform, to undress and practice in their underwear.”

“The children were not allowed to leave for recess; at the next lesson the boy asked to go out, but the teacher did not allow it. He asked louder. The teacher refused because he “talked rudely.” The child peed himself right in class.”

“The primary teacher says: “Kozlov fully lives up to his last name: a goat is a goat.”

Only those whose child has already transferred to another school are willing to share details.

“The teacher hit my son on the hand because he wrote sloppily. The next day he got into a fight with another boy and she tore both their ears. The son said that this is not the first time. I saw bruises on the second boy’s ears, both old and fresh, but his mother was afraid to complain. The teacher beat three other children, but everyone was silent.

I went to the director. She promised to take action, including dismissal. Parents began collecting signatures in defense of the teacher and against my child. They told me: your son is annoying her, people like that need to be beaten! The teacher was fired, but two days later a delegation of parents went to the director and persuaded her to reinstate her. I simply transferred my son to another school - I didn’t even complain.”

It is interesting that in almost half of the cases that reach the court, parents go to the authorities with collective letters asking for the return of teachers.

Defenselessness and impunity

But here's another story. At the end of November last year, during a mathematics lesson in Moscow, a sixth-grader, in response to a remark, sent an elderly teacher to know where. She hit him in the face. The boy collected his things and went out, the teacher caught up with him and hit him again, his nose began to bleed. The teacher was immediately fired under Article 336 of the Labor Code. The teacher with thirty years of experience does not understand what happened: “The eclipse has come.” The students ask the principal to return the teacher. The boy was transferred to another class because in his own they told him: “It’s all because of you.”

Article 336 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation provides for the dismissal of a teacher even for a single use of physical or mental violence against a student. The measure is necessary and justified.
The teacher, of course, should not rush at the child. But a child should not curse at a teacher either. And if he cursed, he should not go unpunished due to his youth.

What can a teacher do in response to an insult? “Write it in your diary,” give it a bad mark and call your parents to school. The student is protected by his childhood, the teacher is not protected by anything and is bound by ethical restrictions. You can't use violence, but what can you do? In ordinary life, after persuasion and reprimands, people begin to yell or resort to administrative measures; You are not supposed to yell at the teacher, and no measures are provided.

In the Soviet school, the principles of collective education and punitive mechanisms worked: we could be scouted at a pioneer gathering or a meeting of the Komsomol committee, called with our parents to the teachers' council, or even written to them at the party organization. All this is no longer there, and thank God. The question is - what is it? Only talented teachers manage to cope with the problem of discipline on their own, and only intuitively. Although this is not God knows what esotericism, and “keep a class” is not a Newtonian binomial. In other countries, they specifically teach “classroom management,” but domestic methodological science is going through hard times.

Helplessness

Popular video services on the Internet contain many recordings made by children during lessons and on their phones. The teachers scold frantically, hit the children on the heads with books... And the children laugh, sometimes even those who are being hit: hurray, the circus has arrived! And the teachers seem to have completely forgotten who is the adult in the class. They see their young tormentors as fully formed, complete scumbags. And they take revenge on them for their pain and humiliation - in an adult way, without making allowances for their youth.

I looked at about fifty recordings made in different schools and cities. What is striking is how identical the teachers are with their hopeless screaming (to which the schoolchildren do not pay attention) and complete oblivion of the objectives of the lesson. While the teacher is absorbed in dealing with the offender, chaos reigns in the class: children shout at each other, enter and leave, jump, chat... First of all, we are faced with failed lessons - both methodologically and disciplinaryly.

They say that today's children are real lawless people. And such things happen, and video recordings confirm this. But more often than not, what we see are just stupid and arrogant children who feel impunity and know no boundaries. The question of the boundaries of what is permitted and who should define them is the most pressing in today's schools.

Here’s one teacher who writes on the website of the notorious TV series “School”: “We are not educators, but teachers! And education starts in the family. So this is a signal not to us, teachers, but to YOU, dear parents! You need to look into your child’s soul more often, and not shut it up with money and freedom, and go to school not 4 times a year for meetings, but at least once a month! Then the result will come!”

Teachers firmly believe that parents have remote controls for their children. And they forget that in the classroom children are a social group that has its own laws, and that parents are no longer included in this group.

What to do?

Methodological illiteracy gives rise to boring lessons. The inability to maintain discipline without yelling and punishment creates chaos. As soon as additional stress factors are superimposed on the chaos and boredom (students are misbehaving, everything is bad at home, the director yelled) - teachers begin to explode like jars in a cellar and injure those around them.

At the same time, the problem of discipline is not solved by dismissing the teacher and expelling the student.

To solve it, it is necessary to develop and implement school rules, think through legal, non-repressive disciplinary measures: what can and should a teacher do in a typical situation when a student fights in class or is rude with obscenities? It is necessary to teach teachers to cope with conflicts without unnecessary emotions and to retain the attention of the class, it is necessary to provide them with the opportunity for psychological help and relief. Who should do this? This is a question not only for the Ministry of Education and Science and regional educational authorities, but also for every school.

What should parents do? Explain to children, who often simply do not understand social roles, how they can and cannot talk to the teacher and behave in the classroom; younger ones - that they should not be afraid to tell their parents about problems with the teacher. If the teacher has exceeded his authority, find out exactly what happened and what is the child’s share of the fault (if any, work with this separately). Record beatings from a doctor, and moral damage from a psychologist, if harm and beatings are evident. An application to the school director is mandatory, to the police is optional, all with copies of certificates. A copy of the application can be submitted to the district education office. If the school does not take any measures, remove the child from the traumatic situation and complain higher: to the district education department, to the prosecutor's office.

As long as we remain silent, nothing will change.

Under the text

Rules of law that must be remembered and which can be referred to in applications:

Education Act:

Article 2 says that state policy in the field of education is based on the principle of the humanistic nature of education, the priority of universal human values, human life and health, and the free development of the individual.

Paragraph 6 of Article 15 states: “Discipline in an educational institution is maintained on the basis of respect for the human dignity of students, pupils, and teachers. The use of methods of physical and mental violence against students and pupils is not allowed.”

Article 156 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation provides for a fine, correctional labor or imprisonment of up to three years for improper performance of duties in raising a minor by a teacher, if this act is associated with cruel treatment of the minor. It is also possible to be deprived of the right to conduct teaching activities for several years.

Articles 115 and 116 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation establish liability for beatings and torture.

Article 336 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation provides for the dismissal of a teacher even for a single use of physical or mental violence against a student.

Article 151 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation allows you to demand monetary compensation for moral damage caused (physical and moral suffering).

Blog visitors in their comments often raise issues related to measures of physical or psychological pressure applied by teachers to students, and are also interested in what actions the teacher applies to them, and what parents should do in cases where the teacher resorts to such measures of influence on students.

Answers to the questions posed can be found in numerous scientific works, regulatory legal documents and materials devoted to the problems of violence.
They define violence against children as any type of child abuse that violates the physical and (or) mental health of a child, interfering with his full development.

In S.I. Ozhegov’s dictionary, violence is interpreted as “coercion, pressure, pressure, use of physical force; coercive influence on someone; oppression, lawlessness."
The most common forms of school violence are physical and psychological (emotional) violence. They can be observed both in the relationships of students to each other, and on the part of teachers and other school employees in relation to students.
What is physical violence
Physical violence against a child is interpreted as the intentional or careless infliction of physical injuries, various bodily injuries to a child by parents or their legal representatives, teachers or other persons, which cause damage to the child’s health, disrupt his development or take his life.
Physical abuse also includes involving a child in the use of drugs, alcohol, giving him poisonous substances or drugs that cause intoxication (for example, sleeping pills not prescribed by a doctor), as well as attempts to suffocate or drown the child.
Physical abuse is recognized not only by the appearance of the child, but also by his mental state.
Experts identify the following main signs of physical violence:
damage to the skin (wounds, burns, bruises, abrasions);
bruises in the form of an imprint of an object (hanger, stick, belt buckle);
circular bruises on the body or limbs (occur when squeezing with fingers);
bites, cigarette burns;
injuries to the lips and oral cavity;
blunt abdominal trauma (intra-abdominal hematomas, bruises and ruptures of the liver, pancreas, spleen);
fractures and traumatic brain injuries.
In order to diagnose physical violence, you must contact a medical institution.

What is psychological (emotional) violence

Psychological (emotional) violence is defined as periodic long-term or constant mental influence of parents or their legal representatives, teachers or other persons on a child, leading to the formation of pathological character traits or inhibiting the development of personality.
Facts of psychological violence in educational organizations are usually expressed:
in threats against the student;
in the deliberate isolation of the student;
in presenting excessive demands to the student that are not age appropriate;
in insult and humiliation of dignity;
in systematic unfounded, incorrect criticism of the child, leading him out of emotional balance;
in a demonstrative negative attitude towards the student;
and also in the form of shouting, sarcasm, angry facial expression, ridicule, ridicule.
If physical violence is clearly recorded, then to record the psychological impact it is necessary to carefully understand the circumstances. It can be difficult to determine the boundaries of what is permitted, even if the child reports it. The complaint may be ignored, and the teacher’s actions may be justified. In addition, some parents do not find anything wrong with a teacher raising his voice at a child or criticizing him.
Unfortunately, some teachers and parents believe that more harm is done to a child in the case of physical violence than verbal violence.
However, scientific research has shown that psychological violence leads to functional changes in the child’s health, alienation from school, gives rise to aggression, feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, and causes stress similar to the effect of trauma from physical violence. That’s why it’s so important for a parent to stand up for the child in time.

About responsibility
According to the Federal Law of December 29, 2012 No. 273-FZ “On Education in the Russian Federation,” students have the right to respect for human dignity, protection from all forms of physical and mental violence, personal insult, protection of life and health, and teaching staff are obliged to comply with legal, moral and ethical standards, follow the requirements of professional ethics; respect the honor and dignity of students and other participants in educational relations.
For violation or illegal restriction of the right to education and the rights and freedoms of students, parents (legal representatives) of minor students provided for by the legislation on education, violation of the requirements for the organization and implementation of educational activities, the educational organization and its officials bear administrative responsibility in accordance with the Code of the Russian Federation on administrative offenses. If the teacher’s guilt is proven, then, depending on the severity of the violation, he may be subject to disciplinary or criminal liability.

What to do?
Experts advise that if a parent suspects that something is wrong with a child, first of all, you need to try to talk to him, find out what the problem is. It is not recommended to give advice on how to cope with the situation. And such advice as “not paying attention” deprives the child of the necessary support.
The first step a parent should take is to meet with the teacher. You need to go to it prepared, know everything about what happened, down to specific dates. We need to calmly state our position. You should not conflict with the teacher. The best solution to the problem is mutual cooperation.
If the conversation does not solve the problem, then according to the Federal Law on Education No. 273-FZ, in order to protect the rights of minor students, their parents (legal representatives), independently or through their representatives, have the right:
- contact the school director with a statement on the application of disciplinary sanctions to its employees who violate and (or) infringe on the rights of students. Such appeals are subject to mandatory consideration with the involvement of students, parents (legal representatives) of minor students and a response in writing;
- apply to the commission for the settlement of disputes between participants in educational relations, the decision of which is mandatory for all participants in educational relations in the organization and is subject to execution within the time limits specified by the specified decision;
— use other methods of protecting the rights and legitimate interests of children not prohibited by the legislation of the Russian Federation.
If no methods work, it is advisable to transfer the child to another educational organization.
If a child feels fear, anxiety, is in a low mood and has no desire to go to school, or has psychosomatic disorders, then it is best to consult a psychotherapist to receive qualified psychotherapeutic assistance, raise self-esteem and acquire self-efficacy skills.

Also on the topic in the blog:
« Parents and teacher: allies, opponents, partners?
“How to protect a child’s rights if they are violated by school”
“School conflicts can be resolved through school mediation”
“Mobbing, bullying, hazing - how they are dangerous for schoolchildren”
“The situation of violence at school can be prevented”
“Conflict teacher - student - parent of the student. What should a parent do?
“We resolve school conflicts in a commission for resolving disputes” between participants in educational relations”

The use of physical or psychological measures against students is unacceptable: 10 comments

Why is psychological influence not permissible?
Personal example of a teacher! Conviction based on examples! Methods based on “conditioned reflexes”!
And if you use “SLOGANS”, then children, teenagers, citizens will only adapt, hide, compress into a spring, which sooner or later or never will produce “results! Sometimes terribly frightening, inexplicable, incomprehensible!!

And in our country, psychological influence is acceptable every day in life safety lessons by a teacher, a former military man, last year the prosecutor’s office sued him for hitting a minor student, paid a fine of 5 thousand rubles and continues his “pedagogical” activities, insulting and humiliating children. The director reacted when documents were demanded from the court and issued a reprimand retroactively.
Isn’t being forced to clean the gym and the entire educational institution (there are no technicians) a psychological influence?

Good afternoon. My daughter, an 8th grade student, had a conflict with a teacher. Initially, the teacher refused to check the independent work due to the fact that it was submitted 10 seconds later than the teacher finished counting to three. But long before the bell rings from class. For this, the teacher gives a grade of 2. My daughter came up after class with a request to check the work, but the teacher refused. At the end of all the lessons, the daughter approached the teacher again and received another refusal. This conversation was recorded on audio recording. The story in the lesson is reflected in correspondence with my mother during the school day. After the mother filed a complaint to the director, the teacher abruptly changed the reason for not checking the work and the grade “2”, accusing the child of cheating. The child, of course, denies this fact. Classmates can confirm the real reason. But the administration categorically does not trust the child’s words. Although in the correspondence with my mother and in the audio recording of the conversation with the teacher, cheating is never mentioned. How can a child defend his rights in such a situation? My daughter studies well. Previous grades in this subject were 4, 4, 4, 5. The child does not trust the teacher, and the parents, of course, do not either. But it is practically impossible to defend the student’s good name at school. What should I do?

• good day, Elena! Unfortunately, you were unable to resolve the conflict at the very beginning. You probably followed the principle, completely trusting the child’s words (sometimes children try not to give reliable information in order to justify themselves, not to upset their parents or not to be punished). In such situations, it is recommended to listen to three sides: the child, the teacher, the students, and then turn to the teacher for advice on how to solve the problem, and not with a claim like “you have no right.” In addition, it was necessary, first of all, to familiarize yourself with the school’s local act on this issue (in your case, this is a provision like “on current control”).
  What can be done in this situation? Try to stop the process, establish peace with the teacher and ask to give the child a repeat assignment, conduct a test on the topic (section). etc. Be sure to explain the situation to the child.
  But you can develop the confrontation further: write a statement addressed to the director with a request to conduct an internal investigation and give a response in writing, contact the school commission for resolving disputes between participants in educational relations, and if the situation does not improve, contact the education management body, the prosecutor’s office about the violation honor and dignity of the child, etc. The possible end result is the child’s transfer to another school, the teacher’s dismissal (depending on the outcome of the investigation). Do you need this?

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Psychological violence at school – myth or reality?
Commissioner for Children's Rights in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug
T.E. Gasheva
In an educational institution, a teacher is one of the key figures influencing the mental and somatic health of children. Various educational paradigms focus teachers on creating a comfortable developmental environment for children, the ability to build constructive interaction with students both during lessons and in extracurricular activities (at the beginning of the 21st century, student-centered learning was in the lead, and in recent years the competency-based approach has been gaining strength in education).
Unfortunately, our schools are still far from implementing the principles of humanism and a tolerant attitude towards the most vulnerable and unprotected category of the population - children.
The facts of psychological violence in educational institutions are not hidden by either adults or children, and they are expressed in threats against the student, deliberate isolation of the student; imposing excessive demands on the student that are not age appropriate; insult and humiliation; systematic unfounded criticism of the child, leading him out of emotional balance; demonstrative negative attitude towards the student.
Psychological violence committed by a teacher in the form of sarcasm, ridicule, ridicule, humiliation of the individual leads to functional changes in the child’s health and alienation from school. Numerous studies by scientists have shown that violent actions by teachers in primary schools lead to a lower manifestation of children’s abilities and their social incompetence. Such violence gives rise to problems in the behavior of children - aggression, feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, and causes stress in the child, similar to the effect of trauma and physical violence.
Scientific publications reflect some of the characteristics of a teacher’s personality that contribute to the occurrence of violent acts against students. These include: rigidity, desire for dominance, anxiety, rapid irritability (especially in response to provoking behavior of the child), low self-esteem, depression, impulsiveness, dependence, low level of empathy and openness, low resistance to stress, emotional lability, aggressiveness, isolation, suspiciousness .
Stress, “burnout” and professional deformation of the teacher distort the objective picture of the student’s behavior, lead to a negative perception of any situation of “disobedience”, and become a trigger for “showdown”. Children suffering from teacher violence develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress and develop an inferiority complex. In elementary grades, such students project violence in the form of aggression towards animals and peers, and in adolescence, teachers themselves become their targets.
An analysis of this problem in schools showed that teachers have underestimated ideas about the harm and consequences of psychological violence towards students. Many teachers believe that more harm is caused to a child in the case of physical violence than verbal violence. Life shows something else - child suicides are more often associated with long-term repeated emotional and social forms of violence, gradually or spontaneously weakening the fragile psyche of a minor.
As part of the global campaign “16 days without violence,” the Ombudsman for Children’s Rights in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug conducted surveys (using the “random sampling” method) and conversations with students on the problem of psychological violence in eight schools. A total of 386 students aged 13–17 years participated. The results were disappointing: this problem exists in educational institutions (14.5% of respondents experienced insult or humiliation from teachers once, 12% of children several times). Students aged 13–15 years, who are at the peak of adolescence, react more vulnerable to themselves.
A high level of psychological violence is also observed in relationships between adolescents (every fourth child has experienced repeated humiliation and insults from peers).
The small number of affirmative answers in the “parents” column indicates that in families various types of psychological violence from parents and relatives to children are not perceived as not corresponding to the norm. In the system of conventional norms, in the “friend-foe” relationship, all grievances are endured more acutely, more severely, and leave an indelible mark on the child’s mental health.
Very often, some childhood problems overlap with others. A student who experiences difficulties in learning and communicating with classmates becomes very sensitive to the emotional reactions of the teacher. Any demand on his part that is not consistent with the child’s expectations is perceived as denial, ill will, or bias. It should also be taken into account that, in a child’s understanding, psychological violence is a purely individual construct, if the fact of violence is isolated. In situations of mass “rejection” of children in the “teacher-student” system, it is necessary to look for the reason in the personality of the teacher, his teaching methods and style of interpersonal interaction.
The Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) states that “the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, requires special protection and care, including adequate legal protection, both before and after birth.” In the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), in Art. 19, it is written in black and white: “States Parties shall take all necessary legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical and psychological violence, insult or abuse, neglect or neglect.” In the Law of the Russian Federation “On Education” (1992), in Art. 15, clearly states: “discipline in an educational institution is maintained on the basis of respect for the human dignity of students, pupils, and teachers. The use of methods of physical and mental violence against students and pupils is not allowed.” In our schools, contrary to all legal acts, is this allowed?
There is only one conclusion: only a conscious perception of violence in school as a phenomenon, knowledge about various types of violence, the mental health of the teacher, the moral judgments of teachers, their values, expectations and behavior, as well as legal competence, can become a preventive barrier to any type of violence against children.
Every case of inhumane treatment of a child is on the conscience of an adult who has crossed the line of what is permitted.

Generally speaking, excellently written.
The total dysfunctionality and tendency to violence, due to pathological character traits, of a significant part of the teachers was revealed. The issue of conducting a psychiatric examination of teachers is extremely relevant, because mental violence in schools is widespread and is perceived by teachers themselves as a method of education and maintaining order.
Thus, they break the psyche of children from primary school age, undermine their motivation to study, hinder their socialization and simply destroy the mental health of children.

And this article clearly highlights what constitutes violence on the part of women in power against the children entrusted to them:

A huge drawback of the modern family and school is the lack of teaching schoolchildren the methods and practice of psychological self-defense. But there are any number of practices of psychological violence in a child’s life - both in the relationships between teachers and students, and in the relationships between children and parents, and in the relationships between children.

Relations between adults and children, due to their constant one-pointedness, embed stable patterns of subordination in the psyche of adolescents. These are two types of schemes. The first type is submission, justified by the natural distribution of roles. It arises in life wherever, with large differences in competence, the right to determine methods of action is given to the more competent party. For example, the client does not interfere in the process of tailoring, in the use of scissors by a hairdresser, or in the preparation of food by restaurant chefs. Likewise, an adult is more competent than a child, and this gives rise to natural submission.
The second type of child subordination to an adult is fundamentally different from the first. This is a completely unjustified and unpaid submission, which at school and at home can sometimes be very similar to slavery.

Paragraph 6 of Article 15 of the Law “On Education” reads:
“Discipline in an educational institution is maintained on the basis of respect for the human dignity of students, pupils, teachers. The use of methods of physical and mental violence against students and pupils is not allowed.”
Human dignity is one of the main foundations of human rights. It happens that people (children and adolescents especially) cannot identify a violation of human rights, but feel humiliated. In any case, when we feel a violation of human dignity, we can talk about a violation of human rights. All human rights and freedoms are, in one way or another, related to human dignity. Therefore, it is very important to identify psychological violence in children both at school and in the family and to give this concept a clear definition.
Physical abuse is any non-accidental injury to a child under 18 years of age by a parent, relative, or other person. These injuries can result in death, serious (requiring medical attention) physical or mental impairment, or developmental delays.
Mental violence is an impact on the human psyche through intimidation and threats in order to break the victim’s will to resist, to defend their rights and interests.
Psychological (emotional) violence - periodic long-term or constant mental influence of parents (guardians) or other adults on a child, leading to the formation of pathological character traits or inhibiting personality development

Psychological violence is:

Rejection of the child, open rejection and constant criticism of the child;
insult or humiliation of his human dignity;
threats against a child;
deliberate physical or social isolation of a child, forcing him to be alone;
presenting demands to a child that are not appropriate for their age or abilities;
lies and failure to fulfill promises by adults;
a single harsh physical impact that caused mental trauma in a child.
accusations against a child (swearing, screaming);
belittling his successes, humiliating his dignity;
prolonged deprivation of a child’s love, tenderness, care and security from parents;
committing violence against a spouse or other children in the presence of a child; child abduction; exposing a child to immoral influences;
inflicting pain on pets to intimidate a child

What does psychological violence lead to and how does it manifest itself?:

Delay in physical and speech development, growth retardation (in preschoolers and primary schoolchildren);
impulsiveness, explosiveness, bad habits (nail biting, hair pulling), anger;
attempts to commit suicide, loss of meaning in life, goals in life (in adolescents);
pliability, pliability;
nightmares, sleep disturbances, fears of the dark, people, fear of anger;
depression, sadness, helplessness, hopelessness, lethargy;
neglect, lack of care for children - inattention to the basic needs of the child in food, clothing, housing, medical care, supervision;
does not grow, does not gain appropriate weight or loses weight, the child constantly goes hungry, begs or steals food;
abandoned, unattended, does not have suitable clothing or housing;
no vaccinations, needs dental services, poor skin hygiene;
does not go to school, skips school, comes to school too early and leaves too late;
tired, apathetic, behavioral deviations, illegal behavior.
If your child (teenager) tells you that they are being abused, then:
Trust him. He will not lie about the bullying he experienced, especially if he tells it very emotionally, with details; the emotions correspond to the state he experienced.
Don't judge him. After all, another person committed violence, and your child suffered.
Listen carefully, calmly and patiently, showing that you understand the severity of his suffering.
Don’t downplay his pain by saying that “nothing bad happened, everything will pass...”.
Do not reject him if, when he turns to you, he is met with condemnation, fear, anger, something that can cause him a deeper wound than the violence itself.