The impact of a family situation on violence at school

Statement of the problem. The article examines the relationship between the well-being of the family and various forms of violence against a child at school (psychological, physical, sexual violence). The study involved 227 adolescents (131 girls, 96 boys) aged 11 to 18 years. Although in the mass consciousness, well-being is usually associated with the presence of both parents in a family, the data call this statement into question. A big role is played by the family environment: the presence of alcohol or drug addiction in among family members, shouting, fighting, threats. The purpose of the article is to provide the results of an empirical study that allows us to identify the relationship between the family situation and the level of violence that a child faces at school. Research methods. The ICAST-C (International child abuse screening tool - children version) questionnaire was used as part of this study. Research results. Children from disadvantaged families are 2-6 times more likely (depending on the type and form of violence) to suffer from violence at school than children from well-off families. This may be due to the fact that children transfer behavioral patterns and social roles fixed in the family to school. Conclusion. According to our research, up to half of all children are exposed to violence at school and at home. Violence at school, in general, is 2-3 times more common among children from disadvantaged families. Teachers and parents often consider physical punishment as a necessary and effective means of controlling children’s behavior. Cases of psychological violence, such as insults, spreading rumors, bullying, and shouting, are not uncommon at school. A number of factors that provoke school violence can be identified: the functioning of the school directly depends on economic, political, social, cultural traditions and trends in the development of society; the presence of an authoritarian and directive management style in school; the general psycho-emotional background of school is characterized by a high level of anxiety of both teachers and students. These reasons undoubtedly make a significant contribution to the problem of school violence, while school violence is conditioned by the peculiarities of the child’s family and family relations. Patterns of violent behavior are undoubtedly formed in the family, and then transferred to the school situation, to relationships among children.