Fighting




	ESE502 : The Class : Discipline : Techniques : Fighting

Fighting

The Garrison Model
B.H. Johns & V. G. Carr

Technique: Managing Verbally and Physically aggressive students

Procedures: Sixteen teacher tips for handling aggression:

An ounce of preventions is worth a pound of cure.
Teacher tension can agitate crisis behavior.
Remain calm.
Lower your voice.
Slow your rate of speech.
Arrange the environment to minimize risks.
Stand 1.5 to 3 feet away from an acting out student -- give the student space.
Be aware of your body stance.
Dress in a manner that minimizes risk of injury.
Remind misbehaving students of the consequences of their behaviors.
Allow verbal venting.
Ignore irrelevant comments and redirect student to problem at hand.
Provide choices.
Set limits.
Use physical restraint technique as last resort.
Once the student is calm, use the incident to teach alternative appropriate ways to deal with aggression.

pp. 55-62.

Breaking up Fights

Never overlook an aggressive act.
Walk to the scene of the problem.
Assess the situation immediately.
Keep an appropriate body stance.
If the situation has not come to blows, talk with the student with whom you have the best rapport.
If the individuals are already engaged in a fight, direct them to stop and get help.
If feasible, remove observing students from danger.
Do not allow the aggressor to benefit from the aggression.
Allow trained staff (as a team) to intervene physically.
Bring the situation to closure.
Avoid physical punishment.
Listen to the students.
Contact the parents of the “watchers and cheerleaders.”
Notify police in situations of assault or battery*.
Document the situation.
Offer support and protection for victims.

pp. 103-110.

* Crime in the school should be treated the same within the schools as outside of the school. The authors point out that tolerating crime, any form of aggression or any kind of bullying is a form of countenancing the behaviors and sends mixed messages to aggressors about the need to conform and discipline self. Obviously, tolerating aggression is no service to other students, to the learning community or the surrounding community.

Strategy	Behavioristic	Cognitive	Humanistic	Physiological	Psychodynamic
Program	Behaviorism	Essentialism	Existentialism	Perennialism	Progressivism

Resource: Johns, B. H & Carr, V. G. (1995). Techniques for managing verbally and physically aggressive students. Denver: Love.

Self Defense Techniques

Biting

The teacher can push the hand or body part being bitten further into the student’s mouth. The inward shove into the mouth causes the jaw to open wider and the bite to release. Get first aid.

Hair Pulls

To prevent hair loss the teacher can push the head toward the student. This abrupt motion will unbalance the student and as a reflex, the student’s hand should release. As a part of the abrupt motion, the teacher places the student’s hand on his or her head at the scalp. Hold the student’s hand on the scalp until the student releases. Call for assistance, since the student may not release the hair immediately.

Wrist Grabs

The tender point in a grab is between the student’s thumb and first finger. The teacher can twist his or her wrist in the direction of the hold where the student’s thumb and first finger meet. Move away from the grab and the student at the same time.

Two-handed Wrist Grabs

Make a fist with the arm that is grabbed. Place the other hand over the fist and jerk upward and to the side out of the grab.

Choke from the Front

Very quickly raise both arms outside the student’s arms and twist away from the hold. As the teacher twists, the arms will knock the student’s hands away from the throat. At the same time yell or scream to startle the student and summon help.

Choke from the Rear

Rapidly raise both arms outside the student’s arms but this time twist backward toward the student.

Kicks

Quickly turn to the side raising the targeted leg and bending it at the knee. This will prevent a full blow that might break the bone.

Punches

Try to grab the student’s fist as the punch is thrown and pull it past the body. Use the momentum of the punch to pull the student past his or her body. While pulling the punch through, move in the opposite direction.

Practice these defenses with other teachers so that they will be available in an emergency.

From: Johns, B. H & Carr, V. G. (1995). Techniques for managing verbally and physically aggressive students. Denver: Love.

Resource Nonviolent restraint and team transport of students is pictured and described in:

Wolfgang, C. H. (1995). Solving Discipline Problems: Methods and models for today’s teachers. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Once you have finished you should:

Go back to Techniques

E-mail J'Anne Ellsworth at Janne.Ellsworth@nau.edu