Self-Defense Techniques for Teachers
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