Serious Management Problems: Violence and Aggression

    113.In the case of a serious management problem, such as two students fighting, which of the following should be your immediate reaction?

a.Stop the fight, if possible.

b.Send a student to the main office for help.

c.Go to the main office for help yourself.

d.Wait for a moment to see if the students stop fighting, and if they don’t, send a student to the main office for help.

114.Two students are fighting on the playground, but neither is in any of your classes. Of the following, which is the best description of your responsibility in this case?

a.You are required by law to intervene, such as attempting to stop the fight, or sending a student for help.

b.You are required by law to physically break up the fight, since the continued fighting could result in student injury.

c.You are required by law to report the fight to the school administration, but you are not required to intervene, since they are not your students.

d.You have no legal responsibilities, since they are not your students.

  115.Two of your students are fighting, and you’re afraid that you’re not physically able to stop them. Of the following, which is your most effective immediate intervention?

a.Send a student to the main office for help.

b.Shout as loudly as you can, and slam a chair on the floor to see if the students will be startled enough to stop.

c.Rush to the main office yourself for help.

d.If you believe they will be able to do so, ask two of the biggest boys in your class to step in and stop the fight.

  116.You have a student who is chronically disruptive.  You finally decide that you have no choice but to remove the student from the classroom.  The student refuses to leave and says that you can’t make him go.  Of the following, your best course of action is to:

a.physically remove the student from your room and once out in the hall, direct him to the principal or dean’s office.

b.remind the student that he has the choice to leave or go, and apply your consequence for failure to comply.

c.use an assertive approach in dealing with the student.  State your demand that the student leave evenly and repeatedly until the student complies.

d.get help.  Teachers need support in dealing with defiant students.

  117.You have a student who you see bullying another student. This is the second incident of bullying that you’ve observed. Of the following, which is the best description of a short-term solution to the problem?

a.Watch the student carefully to see if any other incidents of bullying occur. If not, ignore the incidents you observed.

b.Intervene immediately, and tell the student that his bullying is unacceptable and that he is responsible for his behavior.

c.Call the student and the student being bullied into your room, and ask each to describe their side of the incident.

d.Report the bullying to the school counselor, and ask the counselor to work with the student doing the bullying.

    118.Programs designed to provide long-term solutions to bullying typically focus most strongly on which of the following?

a.Swift and consistent punishment of each incident of bullying until the unacceptable behavior no longer exists

b.Ignoring minor incidents of bullying, such as pushing students in hallways, and punishment of more severe incidents by school suspension

c.Teaching students broadly applicable personal and social competencies such as self-control, perspective taking, and constructive assertiveness

d.Counseling programs with parents that ask parents to take responsibility for their children’s behavior

Essay Items

    119.Describe your legal responsibilities in cases where you observe one student behaving aggressively toward another.

  120.You observe two students fighting. Describe the actions that you should take when you observe the fight.

    121.Describe the characteristics that most commonly exist in programs designed to provide long-term solutions to violence and aggression in schools.