Is violence against
teachers
being normalized?
In some Canadian provinces, teacher attrition in the first five years of a teacher’s career can be as high as 40 per cent.
Why should we talk about it
More than 50% of teachers and education workers have reported being victimized in some way while at work.
For instance, 89% of the 4,000 people in Ontario's public schools “experienced a threat, attempt, or act of physical violence from one or more sources (students, parents, colleagues, administrators)” during that school year, and 70 percent experienced “some type of physical force,” such as “hitting, kicking, biting, or being hit by a thrown object” (Briggs, 2022, April 8).
where else is violence affecting teachers?
Teachers in Colombia have been affected by violence—in all its forms—for many years.
what is
being done?
Exploring teachers' stories amid violence
Currently, there is a research project being conducted that aims at collaborating with teachers in Colombia to learn from their experiences with violence and reflect on ways to help teachers affected by violence in Colombia, in Canada and other countries.
About the researcher
Wilson Hernandez is a PhD candidate in Education, at Concordia University.
He holds an M.A. in English didactics, and a B.A. in Foreign Language teaching from Universidad Surcolombiana, in Colombia.
His research interests lie in student teachers’ education, development, and training; in how the sociocultural factors intervene in the professional experiences of teachers.
