As much as I want to strangle some students, as much as some students have menaced me in the past, it’s just not a teacher thing to do to be violent. You just can’t do it unless it’s in self defense or the defense of another person. You’re in a position of authority, just like any other public official. Moreover, usually speaking, you’re the adult, and they’re not. Beating someone isn’t the adult thing to do (again, unless we’re talking self defense).
That said, I don’t think he should be fired. It’s a mistake. Mistakes happen. Suspended for a few weeks and then back on the job with the proviso that if it happens again, it’s over.
what do you want? teenagers are violent assholes. if they use violence to get what they want, they learn that they can use violence to get what they want. if they receive violence in response, maybe they’ll learn they can’t use violence to get what they want.
adults aren’t supposed to be wet noodle pushovers. some kids need a good solid ass-kicking.
I don’t know. I really just don’t have a proper response. I’m not prepared to say that racist taunts and baiting don’t deserve a beatdown. I’m pretty sure they DO deserve one, unless nothing does.
Greater violence is not the only way to punish violence. And, even if you do wind up using something physical, it shouldn’t be in the heat of anger, but a calculated decision.
Now, given the hate crime (assault + hate speech == hate crime), I’m not gonna hate on the guy. I think he did wrong, but I understand how he could do it. I don’t automatically see violence and go “EVIL!!!”
The kid needs to do more than apologize. Like I said, it was a hate crime. Granted, the assault can be considered in as part of his punishment, as should be his age and the severity of the actual assault. But it deserves more than just for him to say some empty words that he doesn’t mean (as it would be a compelled apology). I’d probably go for community service for a first offense.
Wouldn’t mind that for the teacher, either, really.
So is that the way you would set up society yes? God help us.
At what age do you think it OK to start administering beatings? Girls will get beaten too, you OK with that? What level of harm are you OK with? bruising? bleeding? broken bone or two?
I think your response here borders on Psychopathy.
The use of the word “force” here is not helpful, what you mean is “consequences” or “resistance”.
Bullies will continue doing what they do if they believe nothing will happen to them as a result and that people will not offer any resistance.
I fired a bully once. It gave me immense pleasure but judging by the tone of some replies here perhaps I should have organised an official beating instead, or maybe just smash him in the face with a chair as he sat down for his disciplinary interview.
It is depressingly easy to see where the bloodthirsty calls for capital punishment come from.
Of course, most of these folk envision themselves as the ones delivering the beating rather than as the recipients.
Teachers act in loco parentis in a school environment. A teacher should no more beat a student than a parent should beat a child, no matter the provocation. That said, there are still plenty of advocates for child beating around too.
And that whole time, the body is receiving injections of cortisol. When you are being bullied and harassed or are in an unsafe environment the cortisol turns into a steady drip. We know very clearly that constant exposure to cortisol has damaging effects on the body and the mind. Fatigue, weakness, depression, ** loss of emotional control**, cognitive difficulties, high blood pressure, and bone loss are all symptoms.
This is why I said that “Words can never hurt you” is a total lie. Words can’t hurt you, but the stress produced by being unsafe, unsupported, attacked, and maligned very definitely produces measurable physiological changes in the body thanks to an overload of stress hormone.
??? I’ve seen the complete, unedited version with faces not blurred in which the student repeatedly taunts the teacher, calling him “nigga” “my nigga” etc…
He also repeatedly challenges the teacher with stuff like “say that shit again, nigger” It’s available, on-line if you care to look for it.
??? In a case where teacher assaults a student over a using repeated racial epithets, you think race is irrelevant? You do know about the word’s intra-group usage and reappropriation, right? Have you heard any hip-hop or rap music from the last 30 years or so?
Race is not always relevant… but it is here.
That said, I still don’t agree with the teacher’s response.
Not so fast. I can recognize the teacher did wrong, but in the arena of teacher/student assaults I’m having a hard time getting really upset about this particular story. And I am staunchly anti-death penalty.
I’m basically with Novelty Bobble on this. Regardless of how I might feel emotionally on a given day/week/year, there is no room for acceptance of extra-judicial assault. That is, in essence, one teeny-tiny step removed from lynchings.
But, I did want to address this little stink bomb that got dropped here:
Wow. So no personal responsibility? No parental responsibility? No societal responsibility The actions of the students are entirely the “fault” of the teachers?