The teacher shouts at the child: what to do

It is not uncommon to hear from a student that a teacher shouts at children, insults and humiliates. Some parents immediately stand up for the protection of the child, others shift the solution of the conflict to the child himself, and others may also add on top for shaming the parents.  

So what should you do if you suspect a conflict between a child and a teacher, and in general — does a teacher have the right to shout at a student? We will talk about this in our article and tell you how to solve the problem by maintaining a trusting relationship with children.

Does a teacher have the right to shout at childrenRudeness on the part of the teacher can manifest itself in screams, suppression of the child, which causes negative emotions in the student.

This adversely affects the educational process and academic performance. 

If a child regularly encounters direct or hidden aggression at school, then his self-esteem gradually decreases, interest in studying disappears. Since he feels uncomfortable, he does not want to open up to the teacher, share what he misunderstood. And this, in turn, further provokes the teacher to show a negative attitude towards the failing child. Suppressed by the authority of the teacher, the student either falls silent or enters into a discussion with him.

Parents have the right at the legislative level to defend the rights of the child in connection with bullying.

Bullying is harassment, intimidation or aggressive harassment of one of the team members by other members of the team.

Remember that a teacher has no right to shout at a student, to use methods of physical and mental violence and influence that humiliate honor and dignity in relation to a student. For example, in Ukrainian legislation, this is indicated in articles 51, 56 of the Law of Ukraine No. 2145-VIII of 05.09.2017 "On Education".

If a teacher shouts at a child and such actions are systematic, this teacher may be brought to administrative or criminal responsibility.

If we take Ukrainian legislation as an example, then according to Part 1 of Article 173-4 of the Code of Administrative Offences, bullying entails the imposition of a fine (50-100 non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens) or community service (20-40 hours).

Similar legislative norms apply in all countries. You can get full information by consulting a lawyer or find it on the websites of the authorities in your country.

What to do if a teacher shouts at a studentDoes the child's academic performance drop sharply or does he refuse to go to school?

Such changes, especially sudden ones, may indicate problems with classmates or teachers. And if it is better for him to learn to build relationships with the first ones with your help, but on his own, then with the second ones he cannot do without your direct intervention. 

Problematic situations between a teacher and children can arise both in elementary school and in high school. A strained relationship with a teacher leaves an imprint on the formation of a personality and can deeply traumatize a student. 

The algorithm of parents' actions if the teacher shouts at their child:

1. Make it clear to the child that you are on his side.
2. Talk to the teacher.
3. Communicate with other parents.
4. Contact the school management.
5. Submit an application to the local regulatory authorities.
6. Write a complaint to the highest regulatory authorities.

Now let's analyze each of these points in detail.

Make it clear to the child that you are on his sideCalm down your son or daughter, convince them that everything is fine, now you are aware of the situation and will help to sort it out.

Explain that any problems that arise at school can be solved, and you will always be there to protect.

At the free online master class "What every parent should know" you can learn how to build a healthy relationship with a child with the help of education.After that, it's better for you to calm down yourself and proceed with a cool head to the following points.

Talk to the teacherIt is necessary to talk with the teacher who is shouting at the child.

Do not immediately contact the head teacher or the school director. The purpose of your visit to the school should be to understand the essence of the conflict, not to aggravate it. Therefore, tune in to the most calm dialogue, during the conversation, ask the teacher about the child's progress, the nuances of his behavior, explain that you are concerned about the teacher's reaction and want to know the reason. 

Perhaps you won't like what the teacher says, because you will hear criticism. Convey to the teacher your vision of the situation, explain that you consider unacceptable increased intonation or pressure in communication with your child. 

If the reason for the conflict was the attitude to study, then in this video by Dmitry Karpachev there are answers to some questions: "Is it necessary to force a child to study?".Communicate with other parents

We need to find out: is the teacher shouting at one student or at many?

Is only your child complaining about this behavior, or are all children? If the situation is not isolated and repetitive, you also need to contact the teacher first. There is a possibility that if the teacher is aware that many parents are aware of such breakdowns, he will try to control himself, because he will know about the increased attention to him from both children and adults. But if this did not happen, you will need to take care of the evidence of his non-pedagogical behavior.

The proof of the teacher's guilt is a video or audio recording of the conflict.

It is worth asking students and parents if any of them have recorded a video where a teacher shouts at children. Parents may jointly decide to install CCTV cameras, but there are nuances here. For example, according to Ukrainian legislation, namely Article 307, paragraph 1 of the Civil Code of Ukraine, it is necessary to first obtain the consent of all participants to conduct video filming. This point should be clarified with a lawyer who knows the legislation of your country, or found on the official websites of state authorities.

If the conflict is still ongoing, and you have evidence of the teacher's guilt on your hands, you can proceed to the following points. 

Contact the school managementOne parent or parent team may file an oral or written complaint addressed to the director of the educational institution.

It is best to file a complaint in writing by sending it by mail with a delivery notification. Firstly, in this case, you will have evidence that you have addressed the school management (and, equally importantly, the date of receipt of the document will be fixed), secondly, if the director does not act, you can apply to higher authorities with the same complaint. Therefore, it is better to make a copy of the document and ask to certify receipt at the office if you file a complaint directly at the educational institution.

The Director has the right to respond to your appeal with a disciplinary penalty in the form of a warning. Also, if a teacher shouts at children and there are other complaints about him, he may be fired. In Ukraine, this can happen on the basis of paragraph 3 of part 1 of Article 41 of the Labor Code for an immoral act — an action that violates the moral foundations and rules of labor discipline established in the collective.

If the situation has become so bitter that the student is afraid to go to lessons and still feels pressure, the question of changing the educational institution may arise.. What points should be taken into account when choosing, read the article: "How to choose a school for a child: 5 tips for parents."Submit an application to local regulatory authorities

You can file a complaint with a higher authority only if you dispute the actions or inaction of lower authorities, which allows the higher authority to give binding instructions to a subordinate authority.

That is, if communication with the teacher and an appeal to the director of the school did not give a positive result. 

For example, in Ukraine, a complaint is filed against the director of the Department of Education and Science to which the school belongs. The structure of the complaint does not differ from the one that was written in the name of the school principal, only in the header of the document you need to specify a specific official.

Write a complaint to the highest regulatory authoritiesIf you have not received a proper response from the local regulatory authorities, contact the higher regulatory authorities with a written complaint.

In Ukraine, for example, it is the Ministry of Education and Science. You need to write a complaint to the minister. In Ukraine, the requirements for the registration of the document are the same as for filing in previous instances. However, we advise you to clarify the forms for submitting such documents with a lawyer in your country or on the official resources of the authorities.

We wish you not to get into such situations, and in order to prevent them, we recommend listening carefully to your child.

Ask not only "How are you?", add a positive message, be interested in what interesting things he learned, with whom he communicated and what good this day will be remembered for him. If you conduct such conversations regularly, you will surely notice any changes and react to them in time.

Scold for every two or let everything take its course? The answers in our article are: "Twos and honors students: what is the difference and who is more successful".The images are taken from the sources: pexels.com , pixabay.com .