The Greater Victoria School District says most violent incidents involve children whose behaviour reflects challenges with communication, self-regulation or mental health.
Raising the alarm about “violence in schools” creates the risk of oversimplifying a “complex reality” that could have a harmful impact on families with young children navigating behavioural challenges.
That was the message from the Greater Victoria School District in the wake of a report from the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association about rising levels of student-on-staff and student-on-student violence in schools.
The report says there is an average of 21 incidents of student-on-staff violence daily in the district, with examples seen by teachers including hitting, throwing things and flipping tables.
In a statement, the district said its data show 96 per cent of violent incidents involve elementary-school-aged children whose behaviour reflects challenges with communication, self-regulation, mental health or disability-related needs rather than an intent to cause harm.
“While behaviours that raise safety concerns must always be taken seriously and addressed appropriately, it is important to recognize that behaviour is often a form of communication, especially when children ages 5-10 are learning to regulate their emotions and responses to stress or frustration,” it said.
The district said it is important to understand and respond to the factors contributing to such behaviour, adding it’s committed to inclusive-education opportunities for students with disabilities and diverse needs.
“Inclusion is not optional, and neither is safety,” it said.
The statement said that “significant investments” are made every year to ensure that all students “can participate meaningfully in school life, feel welcome and access the resources they need to be successful learners.”
That includes providing millions of dollars annually, beyond what the Ministry of Education distributes, for staff such as educational assistants and specialist teachers, services such as speech-language pathologists and psychologists, safety-related training and professional-learning opportunities, sensory spaces and specialized resources.
Teachers’ association president Carolyn Howe agreed that the violent incidents point to the need for added support rather than discipline.
Teachers would also like to see a province-wide study from the B.C. government “on the effects of child mental health and the impact on schools,” Howe said.
She said they want to have a full-time educational assistant for every class from kindergarten to Grade 3, and a counsellor assigned to every school.
Howe said a “drastic” improvement in staffing is needed to deal with the issue, along with a focus on efforts that don’t stigmatize any student.
“There are really clear and tangible things that can be done, both at the district and the provincial level,” Howe said. “Discipline does not even enter into our report recommendations.”
She said the report’s recommendations include acknowledging that reducing violence is a priority, including careful tracking “so we can understand really the scope of the problem.”
