A Teachers Response to Family Violence

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A Teachers Response to Family Violence

• Rob Patton,
• Community Awareness Coordinator

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What is Family Violence?

• Abuse
• A pattern of coercive control
• Battering
• Behavior that physically harms, arouses fear,
  prevents someone from doing what she wants,forces
  her to do something that she doesnt want to do.

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What is Family Violence?

• Battering behavior may include
• Physical Violence
• Sexual Violence
• Threats
• Intimidation
• Emotional Abuse
• Economic Deprivation
• Social Deprivation

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ABUSE ISCONTROL THROUGH FEAR
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How Large is the Problem?

• 3 out of 4 Texans have experienced abuse
  themselves or have a friend or family member who
  has
• 1 out of 2 report having personally experienced
  domestic violence
• 1 out of 3 report that they have been severely
  abused
• 2 Women in Texas die at the hands of an intimate
  partner every week

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• Family violence causes more injury to women than
  rapes, muggings, car accidents combined.
• Every 15 seconds, a woman is beaten in our
  country.

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Signs and Predictors of Abuse

• Signs that someone may be a victim
• Visible Injuries
• Unusually controlling partner
• Partner exposes her to public ridicule
• Changes in behavior
• Frightened, exhausted, on-edge, easily upset

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Signs and Predictors of Abuse

• Predictors that someone may be abusive
• Grew up in a violent family
• Uses force and violence to solve problems
• Abuse alcohol or other drugs
• Strong ideas and male/female roles
• Unusually jealous of other relationships
• Treats you roughly or with physical force
• Are you afraid of him?

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The Cycle of Violence
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The Cycle of Violence

• The Cycle of Violence escalates
• Incidents tend to become more frequent
• Violence gets progressively worse

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The Cycle of Violence

• The Cycle of Violence is also generational
• Children who grow up in violent homes are
• 74 times more likely to commit crimes against
  persons
• 50 times more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol
• Using violence to solve problems is a learned
  behavior
• Attitudes about women and family
• Children learn how a relationship is supposed to
  be

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Impact on Children and Teens

• Increased emotional and behavioral difficulties
• Increased risk of physical injury or childhood
  abuse
• Strong ambivalence / confusion regarding violent
  parent
• Learn the attitudes and behaviors
• Become desensitized to aggression

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Impact on Children and Teens

• The abuser may use the kids as a tool for control
  by
• Claiming their bad behavior is the cause
• Threatening violence against the kids
• Holding the kids hostage or abducting them
• Talking negatively to them about the abused
  parents behavior

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Impact on preschoolers

• Developing their ability to express anger and
  emotion in appropriate ways
• Violence teaches them unhealthy ways to express
  them
• They are egocentric
• They may attribute the violence to something they
  have done
• Learning their idea of gender roles
• They may feel unstable, and may display inhibited
  independence or regressive behaviors.

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Impact on School-aged Children

• Increased development of their own reactions to
  the violence and its impact on others
• May be afraid for their mother, worried about
  their father being charged, etc.
• Increased complexity in their thinking about
  right and wrong, with and emphasis on fairness
  and intent.
• They may be more susceptible to adopting the
  justifications and rationalizations for the
  violence
• Academic and social success has primary impact on
  their self-concept
• They may experience more difficulty learning due
  to the violence, and may focus selectively on
  negative feedback
• They are learning their gender roles.

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Impact on Adolescents

• Difficulty transitioning into autonomy and
  independence poor communication and negotiation
  skills
• Physical changes brought on by puberty may cause
  them to try to physically stop the violence.
• May try to escape the situation at home by
  spending excessive time away, or by using
  maladaptive coping strategies such as drugs or
  alcohol.
• May have difficulty establishing healthy dating
  relationships, and may be at increased risk of
  dating violence.

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Signs and Symptoms

• Physical complaints
• Tiredness
• Constant worry about danger and / or the safety
  of loved ones
• Sadness and withdrawal
• Low self-esteem and lack of confidence,
  especially for trying new things
• Difficulty paying attention in class,
  concentrating on work, or learning new
  information
• Outbursts of anger directed at teachers, peers or
  self
• Bullying or aggression
• Stereotyped beliefs about males as aggressors and
  females as victims.

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Additional Signs Older Students May Display

• Suicidal thought and action
• High-risk behavior
• Criminal activity
• Alcohol and substance abuse
• School truancy or leaving home
• Dating violence

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General Guidelines

• Create a safe, low-stress environment that
  promotes respect for others
• Provide positive experiences and activities to
  promote self-esteem and learning
• Let students know what to expect
• Increase positive connections to the school
• Use a variety of teaching strategies
• Be aware that some activities may remind students
  of the violence in their homes

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Ways to Support a Student Who Makes a Disclosure

• Let the student know the limits of
  confidentiality
• Allow the student to tell his or her story
• Do not pressure the student to talk
• Reassure the student, but dont make promises you
  cant keep
• Inform the student of what you are going to do
• Support the student in making choices
• Do not speak negatively about the batterer

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• The student may have chosen this time to disclose
  because something in his situation has changed
  enough to tip the balance on his usual coping
  strategies.

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Tips for Talking to a Parent Who May be a Victim

• Find a safe time and place to talk to her
• Share your concerns about the student
• Be supportive and provide information about
  community resources
• Encourage the victim to contact the local shelter
  for help, resources, and safety planning
• Reassure her that you will NOT speak with the
  alleged abuser about your concerns
• Determine whether you have an obligation to
  report to CPS

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• No policy or guideline can anticipate every
  individual student or familys unique
  circumstance. Safety and protection from any
  imminent harm must be the overriding concern.

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Tips for Handling Parent-Attended Events

• Focus on the student and the students
  participation in the event
• Obtain copies of any legal documents that state
  changes in guardianship, custody, and access
  arrangements
• Do not inadvertently blame either parent for
  whatever situation unfolds when talking with the
  student
• Be aware of your attitudes and feelings toward
  each parent and the current situation
• Be prepared to be flexible with solutions that
  maximize the comfort and safety of students,
  their families, and staff

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Resources

• Noah Project
• [phone] or 1-800-444-3551
• National Domestic Violence Hotline
• 1-800-799-SAFE

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Teachers Handbook

• Children Exposed to Domestic Violence a
  teachers handbook to Increase Understanding and
  Improve Community Response
• www.lfcc.on.ca/teacher.html

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Questions