If a teacher witnesses a fight between two students, should they intervene?

Question

If two students are fighting, and a teacher witnesses it, does the teacher try to break it up, or do they call the schools security?

Answer 1

The correct answer is "It depends."
It is not the job of the teacher to be injured by students. If that is a possibility then the teacher should get help. If the students are small the teachers should separate them, but in all cases the it is the teacher's prerogative. The teacher should verbally tell them to stop fighting and depending on the seriousness of the fight, call a school aide, security guard, or the police. If a loud, stern command is not enough to stop the participants, then the teacher should make a judgment call about the safety of every one involved including those nearby. The best course of action might be to get everyone else away from the fight, after calling for help, especially if it could become dangerous to spectators. A knife or gun does not care about the size or sex of the victim. Also, now days, a teacher has to think about being sued by the student or their parents if they use force on the student. If a teacher pulls one fighter away who is then injured while being restrained by the teacher, they will have a case against the teacher, as he was not able to defend himself against the other fighter. The teacher has insurance and the school district has insurance and they are easy targets for a lawsuit. So, the best course of action for the teacher is reasonable caution.

Answer 2

I've seen coaches physically get involved to break up fights, but some of the teachers I had throughout school would get hurt if they tried. I think a teacher getting involved is depending on the age/size of the children and the size/strength of the teacher. A teacher could vocally get involved, but chances are it might not have much affect on the little hoodlums. School Security should always be called no matter how the teacher gets involved. That way the incident can be properly documented.

Answer 3

Teacher is considered to be the parents away from home. Their primary function as educator does not limit their obligations to perform the tasks and responsibilties of parents that defintely includes keeping things in order. The teacher has the prime obligation to break a fight between any of his/her students and further initiate to investigate the cause of the fight and serve as mediator to resolve the differences. Only in time a fight becomes too violent and beyond the teacher's control that he/she must seek the assistance of the authority, but certainly it should be addressed within the circle first to create the atmosphere of a family.

Answer 4

Um, the teacher's first obligation should be to the student's safety in that instance. Both the ones involved in the fight and the students around it watching the fight. Seperate the two of them and call for security while they're doing it.

Answer 5

well my dear i ask you question what is the job of teacher is it just to teach or to make a today student tomorrow a good citizen of the country
defiantly if such fight is going inside the school campus its moral duty of teacher to intervene
but when fight going on is such serious that it may hurt if intervene than best thing is to call security mean while just observe the quarrel & try to judge the culpit

Answer 6

I think teacher need to intervene safely and try to solve much as possible and also call the security as well.

Answer 7

Both things. The teacher is there to teach but also keep the kids safe.

Answer 8

both if it is a fist fight otherwise let the kids work it out

Answer 9

I agree with mmw108

Answer 10

no, let them kick the **** out eachother.