Quebec school support staff continue to experience violence: Survey

School support staff in Quebec continue to experience violence.

“The situation in the schools with the violence is horrible,” said Doug Bentley, English Parent’s Committee Association.

A survey by the ad hoc research firm, in collaboration with the Fédération du personnel de soutien scolaire (FPSS-CSQ), reveals this — adding that physical and other violence has increased this school year among those who experience it.

“This survey was carried out two years after the 2022 survey,” said Éric Pronovost, president of the FPSS-CSQ in a news release on Thursday. “The problem has not been resolved, despite the interventions of the Minister of Education.

“The violence hasn’t stopped. On the contrary. It’s taken on a truly catastrophic trend.”

Among school support staff who report being victims of violence, 90 per cent identify students as a source of the incidents, making them the main cause of violence in the school environment.

A third of respondents blame students for physical attacks, while two-fifths of employees questioned accuse them of other forms of violence.

“Despite the presentation of the Violence and Bullying Prevention Plan in schools by Minister Drainville, nothing changes,” said Pronovost. “He invites us to a meeting on May 24 to discuss it, but actions must be put in place now in our schools and educational establishments to correct the situation.”

“We cannot tolerate this any longer,” he added in the news release.

“The violence is a symptom of an even greater problem that hasn’t been addressed,” said Bentley.

The survey also reveals that parents of students and work colleagues are almost equally the second source of violence — 22 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively — the vast majority being non-physical.

The report adds that 70 per cent have experienced both types of violence, physical and other than physical. This was at 51 per cent in 2022.

More help is needed on the ground and at home to help prevent cases of violence. Staff shortages and lack of resources in schools are also to blame.

“Several reasons can explain this surge of violence in our schools and establishments,” said Pronovost. “When there are fewer staff to provide direct services to students, it is not possible to do as much prevention as we would like and it is more difficult to intervene quickly.”

“Decision-makers also need to take the situation seriously,” he added. “We must stop saying that this is part of the “job” and refuse unacceptable situations, it must be zero tolerance.”

The violence is a multi-faceted issue groups say, but link the pandemic to some of the behavioural issues found in children nowadays.

“Identify where kids may have weaknesses in core learning because that will affect their behaviour as well and not to mention the social learning they didnt get when everyone was at home,” said Bentley.

Violence should not come with the territory of working with children says the president of the Support Staff Federation.

“Violence isn’t acceptable in any form. And it’s not normal to trivialize it. Especially when it comes to special needs educators. It doesn’t make it okay to get a chair to the head or get strangled,” said Pronovost.

“For years, what we’ve been saying is come and see what’s happening on the ground, and we’ll bring you solutions. The problem starts somewhere at home, and we want to see greater collaboration with youth centers, youth police, and all those involved outside the school, as well as with parents. If parents have difficulties, we need to help them.”

The Minister of Education Bernard Drainville is set to meet with groups on May 24th to discuss the violence and bullying prevention plan in schools.

Over 5,100 people participated in the survey. It was carried out between Feb. 6 and March 22, 2024.