When two people argue, the schoolchild suffers

Unfortunately, violence occurs again and again in our society, in many different places, in many different forms and in different situations. Teachers also experience violence in their everyday work.

The umbrella organisation Dachverband Lehrerinnen und Lehrer Schweiz wanted to take a closer look and asked teachers in German-speaking Switzerland in 2022 as part of a representative study whether and in what form they had experienced violence in the last five years.

Cooperation is not conflictual in the majority of cases

Over 6,700 teachers and other professionals from all school levels throughout German-speaking Switzerland took part. The majority of the teachers surveyed reported psychological violence in the form of insults, verbal abuse, threats or intimidation.

The most frequent source of this was parents (36 per cent). Although pupils from their own class also frequently exert pressure, at 34 per cent of mentions, this is slightly less than from parents. This is followed at a considerable distance by reports of experiences in which the violence originates from work colleagues (15 per cent) or superiors (11 per cent).

Let me categorise this and put it into perspective: Two thirds of teachers stated that they had experienced at least one incident of violence in connection with their profession in the past five years. Around one-third of these experiences were caused by the parents/guardians or the pupils.

It is undisputed that every single incident is one too many. Nevertheless, this does not mean that co-operation with parents or lessons with children and young people are mostly conflict-ridden or dominated by violence.

Disputes between teachers and parents put a strain on children

With an average class size of 25 pupils and over a period of five years, a class teacher teaches around 75 children or young people and is in contact with twice as many parents.

This results in around 225 school-related collaborative relationships between teachers and parents or children or young people within five years. The vast majority of these are constructive and mutually respectful. As a rule, everyone involved attaches great importance to this, as the well-being and learning progress of the children are at the centre of attention.

Some cases are so stressful that they have far-reaching consequences such as a change of job, burnout or even leaving the profession.

What the study also shows: If a conflict does arise, in most cases it can be resolved quickly through mutual dialogue. Nevertheless, those cases in which teachers experience violence are very stressful - sometimes for a few days, sometimes over a longer period of time and in rare cases to such an extent that far-reaching consequences such as a change of work location, burnout or even leaving the profession are the result, as the study also shows.

I would now like to focus primarily on the pupils involved - in those situations in which conflicts arise between teachers and legal guardians. This is because such a situation is often very difficult for children and young people - especially when the children are still young.

They often find themselves in a conflict of loyalty. Even when teachers and legal guardians endeavour to hide the conflict from the children, the children suspect or notice the tensions between the parents and the teacher.

It becomes even more difficult when one or both sides openly discuss the conflict in front of the child or even involve the child. How should they behave? What to say? This often leads to a major dilemma and causes helplessness and worry in the children concerned.

Setting an example to children of how to endeavour to resolve a dispute successfully is a valuable experience for them.

Even if we all try our best, differences of opinion and disputes do occur and are sometimes part of the cooperation between parents and teachers. Such conflicts often arise when there are differing views about the child's need for support or performance, when arguments between pupils in the classroom are an issue or when the child's behaviour at school causes problems.

Conflicts are opportunities for parents and teachers

Assessments, school reports and differing attitudes to questions about leaving school or sometimes even homework can also trigger conflicts. But they also exist between people in other contexts - not just at school. There is also an attitude among experts that life is built around conflicts and that these are not bad per se.

In fact, conflicts also harbour opportunities. Both teachers and parents/guardians can be good role models in such situations and show children how to deal with differences of opinion in a solution-orientated and respectful manner. This is not always easy - especially if the issue has been smouldering for a long time or has already escalated.

But if we show the children how to endeavour to successfully resolve a dispute and ultimately manage to work together again amicably, then this is a valuable and formative experience for them.

This is because children and young people themselves also experience conflicts or get into arguments time and again - at school as well as at home, in the neighbourhood or at the sports club. Some conflicts are with peers, others with siblings or parents and some with a teacher or other carers.

Dealing constructively with differences and disagreements ultimately benefits us all, but above all the pupils. I therefore hope that the LCH study will have an impact in this direction in particular and encourage us all to maintain respect and an attitude even in the event of major differences. Let's work together for good solutions and good cooperation!