Physical and Psychological Maltreatment in Schools

Abstract

Violence against-children is multi-faceted and interrelated with family, school, community and culture. This study examines violence inflicted on students by teachers in schools. Few theoretical models of abusive behavior by teachers have been developed and examined empirically. This study provides a profile of violence displayed by teachers against children, and proposes a model suggesting that teachers' violent behavior toward students is influenced by school climate and by the ideology of student control. Both relationships are mediated by the teachers' attitudes concerning the use of verbal and physical violence as educational tools. The model was tested on a sample of teachers (n = 117) and their students (n = 1170) from the Bedouin community in Israel. Results demonstrate high incidence of maltreatment of students by their teachers and support the hypothesized model.