How should teachers react to a students work that has violent content?

Question

Such as a picture, story, video etc?

Answer 1

I believe that you should talk to the student and give him/her detention. If he/she continues to do this, you should talk to his/her parents.

Answer 2

Look at the piece of work from a different point of view. What is this child telling you? Is he saying, look I can tell a story that will send chills down your spine? Is he saying, help me I have violent thoughts? Is he drawing a picture that shows his anger?

Children are complex individuals and as such a teacher needs to know what is going on with the student. I know that we often have 80 to 100 students a day but you really do need to have some idea as to what the child is about. Often a child is just expressing something that they are temporarily thinking about. Don't over react but at the same time don't ignore either.

Look at the work through the eyes of a teacher who is teaching. Does the work hold up to the assignment? If written, is it written in the parameters set. If it is a drawing is it drawn according to assignment?

Answer 3

Go through the past history of the student and find out whether there were any complaints. If not, the student should be educated about the real life in such a way that the violence is not the solution for anything.
If the student has the past history so, then the therapist would be the appropriate way to handle the student.

Answer 4

I'm not an educator or a mental health professional, but I think the common-sense answer is that you have to put the work in context before deciding what to do.

Is the student otherwise apparently happy, well-adjusted and normal? Do you know if the student has a good relationship with his/her parents? Is the student well-regarded within his/her particular peer group? Does the student seem confident in himself/herself and not prone to acting out, bullying, or verbal or emotional abuse of others?

If in every other way the student seems to be normal and reasonably well-adjusted, then I don't think I'd worry too much about the work with violent content. FWIW there are game-designers, writers, people who work in the entertainment industry who make real good livings producing work with violent content. Seriously: consider the work of Martin Scorsese or Sam Pekinpah. These people produce some pretty darn disturbing imagery, but nobody has seemed worried that they're likely to act out on it!

If, on the other hand, the student in question seems to be not well balanced, does not have a good relationship with parents and/or peer group, is not doing well academically, or otherwise seems to be having problems, then it might be that the work is a cry for help and a talk with the student might be a reasonable thing to do.

As I said, I think it all depends on context. Go with your guts on what you feel about the situation if you feel that things aren't right somehow.

Answer 5

Depends.

If the assignment was a creative one and the violence is not extreme, it may be appropriate. If the violence is extreme, directed towards real people, out of place given the assignment, or appears to indicate real intent, contact your school's therapist and have it professional evaluated.

Also, depends on the age. A 16 year old that write a violent story for a creative writing assignment is not necessarily a problem (although it could be). However, if a 7 year old is drawing violent images, there is more likely to an issue that a therapist and potential child protective services needs to know about.

Answer 6

Well...I would take the student aside for now and tell the student that his work was really interesting and you would like to know if there is any reason or meaning behind the violent content that he may want to share. Then without singeling him/her out...make it clear about appropriate content for the next assignment: just give a reminder that no violent, sexual, etc. things are allowed.

Answer 7

A lot depends on age, intent, content, and the student's history/character. As well as your school's policy.

Your response can be anywhere from accepting the work as is, asking the student to re-do, bringing it to the attention of guidance, calling/meeting with parents, or bringing it to the attention of the principal/vice-principal.

The main thing is to not OVER react, but to take proper measures.

Answer 8

It depends on the nature of the violent content. If you think that it seriously poses a threat to themselves or someone else, then definitely talk to both the student and to their parents. If not, let them know that you don't take it lightly, and the next time they turn something in like that, take the proper disciplinary action.

Answer 9

I would start by talking to the kid about it. Many times students writing about stuff like that is a way to hint that they need someone to talk to . I would not take it lightly in light of all of the school violence over the past few years. If the kid needs more help or blows it of like nothing, I would take it to the school counselor and see what they recommend.

Answer 10

In order to cover your own behind (if you're the teacher) and to keep the student from harming him/herself or others, you immediately report it to the child's guidance counselor or to your school's child study team. It is imperative that you make sure that the student is out of harm's way!

Answer 11

I am guessing it is more than one student if the assignment involved bringing in a video and/or picture to class.