Aggression in Polish Schools: Causes and Implications Maciej Piotrowski Academic Writing D/II/4 Aggression in Polish Schools: Causes and Implications The problem of aggression in schools is the subject of an ongoing public debate the aim of which is to identify its causes and find effective ways of eliminating or at least reducing it. The issue is even more topical today, since the amount of offences among schoolchildren seems to have increased dramatically over the past few years. Virtually every day the public is faced with many incidents, often tragic, involving pupils. What makes the situation even graver is the fact that the age of participants of those events appears to be decreasing alarmingly. Acts of physical and psychological violence may take place even in kindergarten. The recent fabulous advances in technology that put a high-tech cell phone in the hand of every second child only aggravate the situation. Humiliating others, filming it with a phone and uploading the video to various social networking websites has elevated aggression to a new, disgraceful level labelled as cyber or digital violence. Any case of aggressive behaviour at any level of the education system provokes massive public expressions of protest and indignation. The need to identify, prosecute and convict the guilty of causing this situation seems to be embedded in the nature of society. However, finding the culprit is often the effect of biased, equivocal judgement, which, in fact, turns them into nothing more than a scapegoat. As the public responding to the acts of violence among children consists mainly of parents, it is often driven by false presumptions. Since school is the place where the examples of aggressive behaviour are best observed and most widely publicised, blaming the education system for them is the easiest and most obvious outcome. Therefore, many people fail or refuse to take any other conclusion into account, let alone one that would hold them responsible to the same or even greater degree. Claiming that parental negligence and mistakes, rather than the education system, are responsible for the aggressive 2 behaviour of children in Polish schools would be a highly controversial statement, but it may as well be true. However, identifying the true source of the problem is the first and most important step towards reducing it and finally rooting it out completely. In order to tackle the problem one must thoroughly examine all of its aspects, take a wider view of the matter and put all the bias aside. Only then can the core of the issue be reached, analysed and solved. Aggression is no exception. Over the centuries scholars invented many definitions of this phenomenon and various ways of classifying it with regard to causes, effects and purposes for which it may be used. This amount of approaches turns aggression into a multidimensional notion. Zbigniew Skorny, a Polish education psychologist, defines aggression as “a type of behaviour taking the form of an attack which causes certain material or moral damage” (Skorny, 1968, 34). Elliot Aronson, an American psychologist, defines it as “a deliberate action, the purpose of which is to cause damage or distress, used as a goal in itself or as means of achieving something beyond it” (Aronson, 2007, 196). Both definitions, as well as many other explanations provided by various renowned scholars, clearly agree that aggression is an intentional verbal or physical behaviour aimed at another person (or sometimes an object) in order to cause physical or psychological harm. However, there is no agreement as far as defining its causes is concerned. Generally, the two main trends divide them with regard to biological and sociological factors. Some academics believe that these two aspects are interrelated and cannot be researched separately, others claim that only one of the two is prevalent and the other purely marginal (Rogge, 2007). When it comes to examining violent behaviour among minors it is worthwhile to take the broader concept into consideration and observe it both with regard to biological development and the social environment the child grows up in. The two main areas concerned are home, with the major influence of parents, and school, with the 3 influence of teachers and the peer group. Both are pivotal in child’s development; therefore, they can also be considered as potentially responsible for inducing aggressive behaviour. Understanding the gravity of the problem requires an insight into some statistical data and research which also aims at interpreting it. However, this approach has one major imperfection: we must take it into account that some discrepancies and distortions are unavoidable. The reasons for this are complex and derive from factors such as varying rates of crime detection, shifting policies concerning prevention and prosecution, and the accuracy of registration. One should also remember that most statistics rely on police records and thus are based only on reported cases. It is estimated that nearly 1/3 of all offences and crimes is never reported due to the lack of faith in apprehending the culprit All of these factors require examining more than one research conducted on the matter. One of such attempts is a comparative study by Krystyna Ostrowska, a renowned psychologist, who analysed statistical data on juvenile crime and minor offence in 1997 and 2003 (as cited in Libiszowska – Żółtkowska, 2008, 14). The conclusions showed that while verbal aggression remains level, there has been an unprecedented increase in the most brutal acts of violence. The use of alcohol, drugs, medicines, and other addictive stimulants has also become more common, mostly due to their availability and relatively low price. In nearly all the cases examined there is evident causation and/or correlation between violence and drug or alcohol abuse. An interesting aspect of the study was the division of offences with regard to the sex of minors. It clearly demonstrates that the number of girls involved in violent bahaviour has doubled in the recent years. Unsurprisingly, boys still lead in these shameful charts. This brutalisation of school life, often taking the form of auto-aggression, is most disturbing. Another research, conducted by Beata Gruszczyńska, a psychologist at the University of Warsaw, concentrates on the analysis of police records between 1990 and 2005 (as cited in 4 Libiszowska – Żółtkowska, 2008, 30). It revealed that the rates of juvenile delinquency have been actually fluctuating during the last fifteen years rather than rising steadily. The instances of violent behaviour among minors reached a low point in 1990 (60525 reported cases) and peaked in 1995 (82559 reported cases). At first glance the situation may appear reassuring and cause one to jump to hasty conclusions that the actual state of affairs has been exaggerated by the media. However, another important aspect of the study is based on vital statistics which show that the population of children in Poland has decreased in the recent years. The author concludes that even though from a purely statistical point of view we are not experiencing a dramatic rise in juvenile crime rates, there is an actual growth of violent behaviour with relation to the overall population of minors. Another research, conducted by Aleksandra Korwin-Szymanowska, a psychologist and criminologist, sheds light on the situation of teachers in Polish schools (as cited in Libiszowska – Żółtkowska, 2008, 45). The results are alarming. Over 40% of lower secondary school teachers admitted that they feel intimidated by their students during breaks, 30% after school, and 24% during classes. However, they also reported that they refuse to give into fear and are determined to ensure that their learners are safe at school as well as before and after it. Furthermore, headmasters use all the means at their disposal to deal with any manifestation of aggression. Unfortunately, most actions taken up by school administration serve only as an “emergency treatment” with little or no long-term effect. There are few ways of dealing with troublemakers: lowering the mark for improper bahaviour, a conversation with parents, reporting the offence to the police, filing a suit or expulsion from school. Further legal proceedings may result in administering the most severe punishment in the form of a youth custody centre. However, it is with great reluctance that the courts pass that sentence in favour of less severe penalties due to the fact that every young offender is believed to hold a promise 5 of becoming a law-abiding citizen (Libiszowska – Żółtkowska, 2008). Furthermore, their young age is believed to justify any misbehaviour. It is worth noticing that any action taken by the police or the courts deals with the direct effects of violence rather than its causes. The key to solving the problem of aggression is tracing it back to its origins and preventing it from ever happening. In order to do so it is worthwhile to take a closer look at child’s development from its very beginning. From the very moment a person is born their surroundings serve as an immediate source of all types of sensory input. Parents are the first and most important stimulus for the psychological development of a young person. It is a generally acknowledged fact that the first years in the life of every person are crucial to their emotional and intellectual growth, future attitudes and beliefs. In biology and psychology it has been described as the Critical Period Theory (Siegler, 2006). It is a limited amount of time during which an organism (a human, an animal or even a plant) possesses an enhanced capability to acquire certain knowledge, skills or psychophysical imprinting. When the critical period is over this ability diminishes making it impossible for an organism to develop certain traits or features. Therefore, the role that parents play in it cannot be overestimated. They serve as mediators, guides, role models, examples to follow and look up to, providers and protectors. It is their duty to make sure that their child uses every opportunity that the critical period may provide in the best way possible. This theory and its implications are very popular among the first language acquisition theoreticians, as linguistics relies heavily on this concept, but it is also applicable in the holistic approach to psychological growth (Siegler, 2006). The mistakes that parents make when raising their children play an important role in the formation of various disturbing anomalies in their offspring’s behaviour. Neglecting one’s own child is the worst of mistakes that can be made in parenting. Psychologists and educationalists point to it as one of the most serious problems in the 6 upbringing of a child. It encompasses a wide variety of smaller issues, all of which, if accumulated and not dealt with, may eventually result in aggression. Being a parent means more than just “breeding” a child, it requires active participation in the child’s life. Many people fall into the trap of being “passive parents”, who are preoccupied with their daily routines and duties (Steede, 1998). They fail to realise that in order to provide their offspring with happy, fruitful childhood they should not treat parenting as a “part-time job” but as the most important challenge in their lives. One who does not understand it cannot call themselves a good parent. Devoting one’s attention to the child only in the time free from work or other duties is among the most serious mistakes an adult can make. The modern way of life, which favours the pursuit of money, encourages limitless consumption and emphasises career, leaves little space for family life. Some people hurl themselves into work selfishly, having only their own good in mind, others believe it is the only means of providing their children with everything they may require. Ironically, they deprive them of the most essential part of their childhood: the time spent with parents. Perceptive and insightful adults who are committed to their roles as parents are often able to notice any problems that manifest themselves in their children’s actions (Beil, 2000). They are far more likely to help them with difficulties at school and can notice disturbing changes in their behaviour. They are also more familiar with the circle of friends the child belongs to and can recognise whether they are taking any stimulants. It is crucial to stress that such parents are not supposed to be acting as warders or spies, but rather achieve their goals through keeping good rapport with their offspring. Additionally, all children feel great need to attract the attention of their parents. They want to be praised and noticed, and one of the things they fear the most is being ignored (Steede, 1998). This is why they even prefer to be berated to being slighted. The easiest and most effective way of attracting the attention of parents is through improper behaviour. 7 Frustration and anger are vented on objects and other people (e.g. siblings, other schoolchildren) in the form of aggression or disobedience. Only then do parents begin to pay attention to what is happening with their offspring. Many people forget or never even bother to commend their children for achieving success or actually not causing trouble at all. If the problem persists, and the only form of dealing with the situation that parents can think of is through various kinds of punishment, it may worsen the family relations even further. As the feeling of rejection develops the child may potentially seek understanding with social groups whose members have similar experiences. Such new “friendships” in most cases lead to breaking the law, brutalisation of behaviour and addictions (Rogge, 2007). At a certain stage parents receive additional help in raising their offspring, other than that of grandparents, aunts or uncles. As the child grows older, a time comes when they must take the first steps on the long path of compulsory education. It is a certain moment of transition into a whole new world governed by different sets of rules and standards. At this stage most children immediately broaden their surroundings, they are taken away from the daylong parental care and are put under the watchful eye of teachers and educators. They provide the young minds with a completely new set of stimuli in the form of new views, routines and patterns of behaviour (Gordon, 1995). Although it may be compared to the experience of the first, formative years of a child, the amount of input that a learner receives is incomparably lower. Children in Poland are required to go to school at the age of six. This is the time when they become a part of the education system, which divides compulsory education into three levels: primary school, lower secondary school, and upper secondary school. Compulsory schooling is preceded by kindergarten (age 3-6), and followed by higher education (18+), both of which are optional. However early the parents decide for their children to go to school, they usually send there a young person who has basic understanding of the world and 8 fundamental rules that govern it. The linguistic and pragmatic competence of a child at that age is already formed. With time it will expand and be “upgraded” of course, but all the elemental pieces in the child’s brain are already set. Therefore, the role that school has in child’s mental development, although extremely important, will always be secondary. However, its main addition to it is the introduction of an ever-present peer group with which the child will have to learn to coexist for several years to come. The social aspect of schooling is as important as the knowledge and skills that it is supposed to pass to the learners. The main idea behind grouping schoolchildren into classes, apart from the obvious practical and economical reasons, is putting a person in a social context other than the influence of parents or siblings (Gordon, 1995). Undoubtedly, a child may have interacted with people outside the family unit, but it is unlikely that these experiences were as intense and regular. The importance of such interactions can often be underestimated, but they are crucial in building a prosperous society. Since the life of every person involves other individuals functioning as different social groups, interactions of varied frequency and magnitude are unavoidable. This is also the time, when many friendships, often lasting for many years, are formed. Prolonged isolation is often accompanied by distortions of character and psychophysical disorders. Hardly anyone enjoys leading a life of a hermit. Voluntary isolation or exclusion from society is often one of the symptoms which may indicate that something wrong is happening with a person. In the case of schoolchildren it may be one of the effects of school failures, bullying, feeling of being misunderstood, ignored or heartbroken. All of these factors have the potential of contributing to aggressive behaviour, also in the form of auto aggression. Both parents and teachers are responsible for noticing any such change and aiding the child. However, on average, a Polish teacher has to take care of classes of 20+ pupils, usually from morning to early afternoon. In these circumstances observing any negative changes as they form is extremely hard. Most of the times it happens 9 when they have already developed into serious issues and manifest themselves in various forms of verbal or physical aggression. Parents, on the other hand, know their offspring better than anyone else and they should be able to recognise any disturbing changes. Sometimes, in spite of noticing the odd behaviour they fail to understand that their “perfect” child has problems. The refusal to accept this stems from the deeply rooted conviction that they never made any mistakes as parents and they attribute everything to the “rebellious age” or raging hormones (Libiszowska – Żółtkowska, 2008). New environment, new experiences and new friendships often also involve new dangers. Schoolchildren are determined to be successful and accepted by others. At first, they look up to the teacher as a role model and seek their acceptance. However, as their social skills develop they turn their attention to the peer group. The easiest way to achieve acceptance among classmates is by impressing them. Some children are so desperate to gain recognition or respect that they will go as far as to break the rules, and often resort to violence to achieve their goals. Humiliating or beating others is the means of elevating one’s status in the group. Young tormentors often fail or refuse to understand the impact their actions have on their victims, who tend to suffer from depression and emotional trauma. It is not uncommon for them to commit suicide as they can no longer bear the oppression and have no prospects of improving their situation. However, apart from the bullies, the peer group is also responsible for the situation. Applauding aggressive behaviour and social callousness encourage even more brutal acts of violence. The misunderstood idea of loyalty to the class may bear fruit in the conspiracy of silence. Since the school reform of 1999 many psychologists and educationalists have argued that it contributed to the increase in violent bahaviour of schoolchildren (Libiszowska – Żółtkowska, 2008). They pointed to lower secondary school as the main source of educational problems. The rationale behind this claim was that the transition points between certain levels 10 of education were miscalculated. All children potentially prone to violent behaviour at the so called “difficult age” (13-16) were put together. In the old system children went to primary school at the least troublesome age (5/6). They stayed there until the age of 13/14 and any disturbing behaviour could be noticed and remedied with the help of teachers who had known them for many years. The fact that pupils had known their teachers for such a long time granted a greater degree of mutual respect. Having finished primary school, the learners went to secondary school where they coexisted with older, more mature people (16-18), who unknowingly and unintentionally curbed the endeavours of any potential troublemakers. Now, when the delicate balance that kept a tight rein on the “tumultuous” age was shaken, controlling it has become most challenging. Newcomers to lower secondary schools are often disobedient and disrespectful towards teachers or any sort of authority. This is reflected in the aforementioned study by Aleksandra Korwin-Szymanowska on the situation of teachers in Polish schools. However strong these arguments are, they are only one of the many contributory explanations of the problem. Furthermore, this approach does not provide us with a convincing solution, other than the unrealistic idea of reversing the reform. Additionally, it acknowledges that the young have always been prone to aggression, and now they were simply “unleashed” upon the unaware and unprepared society. Aggression among children is an elusive phenomenon. Its causes are complex and we cannot limit defining them by simply laying the blame on anybody around us. Parents, as the most important people in the upbringing of a child, are responsible for inculcating them with the basic patterns of bahaviour and concepts of right and wrong. Additionally, they should create favourable conditions for mental and biological development. On the other hand, the years that a child spends as a part of the education system are crucial in their intellectual and social evolution. School becomes their second home; however, its role in child’s upbringing is always secondary. One of the many aims of schooling is helping parents raise decent young 11 people. At school learners should have the comfort of feeling safe from harm. Any kind of pathologic behaviour that goes unnoticed or unpunished will surely encourage further offences and result in escalation. Therefore, both parents and schools are responsible for aggressive behaviour of children in Polish schools. The main difference lies in its degree and magnitude. Parents are responsible for their child as an individual unit, whereas the education system for the child in a social context. Furthermore, as the available methods of preventing violence differ from one another significantly, the main point of focus in the struggle against violence among the youth should be formulating a common solution. One that would involve both parents and the school system in a combined effort that would one day make children’s lives before, after, and during school safer. 12 Bibliography: Aronson, Elliot. The Social Animal; 10th edition. New York: Worth/Freeman, 2007. Beil, Brigitte. Dziecko grzeczne i niegrzeczne. Trans. Andrzej Czarnocki. 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