When students are upset, they may bite, kick, hit, pull hair, or attack

anyone close, including a teacher. Thus, it is helpful for teachers to know

some basic techniques for self protection to avoid personal injury. Johns

and Carr (1995) provide several useful suggestions for various aggressive

behaviors that are briefly summarized below. We recommend that these

techniques be practiced until you feel comfortable in their use.

Bites

Some students bite, when upset, regardless of their age. To release a bite,

push the hand that is being bitten further into the student’s mouth. This

will cause the jaw to open. Wash any torn skin with antibacterial soap.

Another technique is to firmly press a finger up and under the student’s

nose. This too should cause the jaw to open.

Hair Pulls

Some students also pull hair. To escape from having hair pulled, push the

head toward the student doing the hair pulling. This will often throw the

student off balance and cause him or her to release the hair. Or, as moving

towards the student, place a hand over the student’s hand and press and

hold it against your head, and obtain assistance of someone for releasing

the student’s hand once it is secured against your head.

Kicks

Raise the leg towards which the kick is being directed so it can “give with

the blow. (Keeping the leg firmly planted can increase the likelihood of a

broken bone.) Move away from the situation as soon as possible and seek

assistance.

Punches

Try to grab the student’s fist as the punch is thrown and pull it past your

body. You use the momentum of the punch to pull the student past you. While

doing so, move in the opposite direction, move away and seek help.

Chokes

If the choke is from the front, quickly raise both arms outside the

student’s arms and twist away from the hold. The arms will knock the

student’s hands away from the throat. If the choke is from the rear, again

rapidly raise both arms outside the student’s arms, and this time twist

toward the student to break the hold. Move away and seek adult help.

Wrist Grabs

Twist your wrist away in the direction of the hold where the student’s

thumb and index finger meet. (This is the weakest point in a grab.)

Simultaneously move away from the grab. (You can try this technique on

yourself by grabbing your wrist and twisting out and away from the grab.)

Two Handed Wrist Grabs

If a student grabs the arm with two hands, form a fist with the arm that is

grabbed, place the other hand over the fist, and pull upward and to the

side of the grab. (This technique will take practice.)

Teacher Recovery

The emotional impact of having to defend yourself can be high. It is

important to diffuse these feelings and debrief your actions. Seek out a

trusted colleague, school psychologist, school nurse, or an administrator

whom you trust to listen and provide emotional support.

Summary and Discussion

When working with an aggressive student a determination must be made as to

what triggers the behavior and what functionSecondary Schools the aggression serves. Is

the student engaging in aggression in response to aversive factors within

the environment? Is there a lack of appropriate social skills? Does the

student engage in a chain of behaviors that escalate to aggression?

Treatment strategies should be based on answers to these and similar

questions!

– Johns and Carr