The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor Flin Flon teachers are suffering rare but often harmful physical and emotional abuse at the hands of students. Superintendent Blaine Veitch said the school division has yet to reach its goal of eliminating such abuse, but is hardly alone in that regard. 'Despite our best efforts, there continues to be some incidents when staff are confronted with physical and/or emotional abuse,' he said. 'This includes both teachers and educational assistants.' Veitch said incidents of abuse are typically infrequent, with a 'high percentage' involving students with special learning needs. 'Regardless of the frequency, when incidents like this occur there is often a significant impact on the staff member,' he said. 'Staff members may try and deal with this on their own and some people are reluctant to report incidents. 'Ideally we would want there to be no incidents, and to support staff if an incident does happen.' Policies Veitch said policies for safe schools and the prevention of violence and harassment are developed and issues are handled as they arise. 'If needed, safety plans are developed for the few students that display ongoing, longer-term aggressive behaviour,' he said. 'These plans are usually developed in collaboration with parents, teachers, educational assistants, clinicians and administration. These plans may include additional supports for the child.' See 'Non...' on pg. 6 Continued from pg. 1 The division has also regularly provided non-violent crisis intervention training 'to prepare staff on how to protect themselves and how to de-escalate situations before students escalate into areas of abuse,' Veitch said. The superintendent said discussions with other divisions indicate Flin Flon is 'not significantly different (as) they also deal with these types of situations.' 'We believe that treating each other with respect is the best way to have people work together in a positive way and that reduces abusive situations,' Veitch added. 'A healthy, safe environment in schools is the best way to prevent abuse from occurring.' Bobbi Willetts, president of the Flin Flon Teachers Association, said she agrees with Veitch's statements, which were made with her input. It was a little over 20 years ago that Flin Flon school trustees had their eyes opened to the problem of teachers being abused. As The Reminder reported at the time, four representatives from the school system delivered a report on the abuse. 'Teachers have had enough and they want the administration to take steps towards a plan that will stop the problem from growing,' read the March 24, 1992 article. Survey At the time, a survey of teachers from across Manitoba showed 40 per cent had been emotionally or physically abused. Kicking, biting and destruction of personal property were among the incidents reported. A survey in the Flin Flon area back then revealed local teachers faced the same difficulties as their counterparts in other cities. Percentages were close to those in the provincial survey. 'Most of the abuse came from students the teachers had in their classes. Next came other students from the same school, then parents of the teacher's students, and then from students at other schools,' explained one presenter, who was not named, during the presentation two decades ago. Veitch said he is unaware of a recent local survey on teacher abuse, so there are no specific numbers to compare what is happening now versus what was happening in 1992.
