We are heartened that many schools, colleges and individual teachers are moving
away from shame-based disciplinary methods and punishments. The tide is turning
in many cases, but there is still quite some way to go before this is widespread and
truly the norm.
The poignant short film, commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research
Applied Research Collaboration West (NIHR ARC West) as part of their Behaviour in
Schools Study (BISS), really struck a chord with us when we watched it this week.
You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvIq77h_rrY&list=PL73QdP0j2-eKx4xvcsxFy8Cg8V-q6zjAN&index=2
In it you can hear the actual words spoken by young people aged 13-18 who were
interviewed as part of the project. These are young people who are confused and
uncertain in school and whose mental health is suffering as a result. They talk about
teachers who are giving out “random warnings” and “making it up all the time”. This
inconsistent freestyling can be very unhelpful to young people, who relish and need
a sense of security and certainty.
A safe and predictable climate is one in which learners and staff thrive. Where a
school/college has a clear sense of ‘this is how we do it here’ which resonates with
and is understood by all staff, from the SLT, to teachers and TAs, to lunchtime
support and office staff, is where we will see safety and success.
On our courses, and as part of our Behaviour Change Programme, we emphasise
the importance of refining rules, using scripts for interventions and, essentially,
ensuring that there is a daily drumbeat of the same rules, calm smiling adults and
predictable responses day in and day out. Hearing the girl in the film talk about the
inconsistency of adults making her feel “so unsettled” really puts the importance of
this in perspective.
The young people give their solutions. They suggest practical steps, which are things
that When The Adults Change certainly advocates for and we feel can make a real
difference. They, and we, would like to see an end to “pointless punishments” that
have little impact on behaviour. Humiliation and being shouted demonstrate a lack of
empathy and just cause retaliation and escalation. As the film shows, it also impacts
other learners, who find it hard to focus and are in turn worried about doing the
wrong thing too.
Better relationships, another thing called for by the young people in the film, is what
the relational approach is all about. It is important to make connections and see
young people as individuals. To meet them where they are and work with them,
collaborating, not dictating. Having a quiet and private word when behaviour is
wobbling (‘RIP’- remind in private) can help stop situations from getting out of hand
and demonstrates respect and trust. Having a ‘walk and talk’, to try to understand
where the wobble is coming from can be a fruitful strategy to engage with a learner
and step away from the behaviour, whilst seeking to understand it.
Schools and colleges need to be safe and predictable places where young people
can learn, flourish and thrive. A relational approach is truly key to transforming a
setting and is used to set the behavioural climate. Shame-based disciplinary
methods and inconsistent or scattergun disciplinary approaches create an uncertain
and unstable climate for a setting that won’t protect the mental health of learners. As
we mark World Mental Health Day this year, we need to have important
conversations about shame-based disciplinary methods and punishments and
realise that they have a truly detrimental impact on the mental health of our young
people.
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