A PSYCHOLOGICAL POSTULATION FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF CLASSROOM EMOTIONAL ABUSE

Europen Journal of Educational Studies 1(3), 2009 2009 Ozean Publication A PSYCHOLOGICAL POSTULATION FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF CLASSROOM EMOTIONAL ABUSE Okoza Jolly, *Oyaziwo Aluede And A.I Ojugo Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria *E-mail address for correspondence : oyaziwoaluede@yahoo.com Abstract : Emotional abuse of secondary school students by teachers is an active label for describing the violations of students rights. It is a strong school violence that can impede students development and productivity. This work portrays how emotional abuse can destroy self concept of students in the classroom in concordance with Rogerians theory. In line with Rogers theory, emotional abuse is undue pressure from teachers. Such pressure can stifle students development. This work recommends that since emotional abuse destroys growth promoting climate in the classroom, teachers should internalize the principles of unconditional positive regard as enunciated by Rogers that is characterized by genuineness, sympathy and empathy. These are ingredients that can facilitate students learning and development. INTRODUCTION Emotional abuse, which is a subtype of abuse and neglect, is a problem affecting all races, religions, and socioeconomic groups. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around the world, 40 million children suffer from abuse or neglect and need health and social intervention (WHO, 1999). Emotional abuse is a concerted attack by an adult on a child s development of self and social competence, a pattern of psychically destructive behaviour (Garbarino, Guttman & Seeley, 1986). Today, school violence is one of the most important problems facing children and their families, since growing number of students perceive their school context as an unsafe environment (Aluede, 2004). In some family settings, inappropriate and abusive parent will denigrate and insult the child, express conditional love and ambivalent feelings towards the child, and will emotionally or physically reject the child s attention (Alfandary, 1993). Children who found themselves in such situation either in their school or family circle are likely to suffer damage to their self-esteem and their internalization of positive role models and adaptive interactional patterns. This state of psychological maltreatment experienced by students is perceived as a socio-economic malaise by all and sundry in our society. Such experience will impact negatively on the mental abilities of a child such as intelligence, memory, recognition and attention, feelings and capacity to develop relationships (O Hagan, 1993). Psychological abuse or mental injury and other forms of abuse may have informed the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) to insert in her constitution, section 34 which states the Rights to dignity of human persons. In addition, subsection (1) of section 34 states further that every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his human person and accordingly: (a) no person shall be subjected to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment. The foundations for good mental health are laid in the emotional development that occurs in infancy and later childhood and appears to be dependant upon the quality of and frequency of response to an infant or child from a parent or primary caregiver (O Hagan, 1993). If a parent inadvertently or deliberately engages in a pattern of inappropriately emotional responses, the child can be said to have experienced emotional abuse. The term abuse conjures up images of violence and cruelty. It infers a deliberate action, an intention to harm and to damage. It is an active label for the violations of one person s rights by another. But in order to be able to talk about emotional abuse, we need to recognize that the term also describes what is not being done, what is being omitted, neglected and denied and most importantly, how it is done unintentionally, out of ignorance, indifference or distress (Alfandary, 1993) 125

Emotional abuse is as difficult to detect as it is damaging. It is an invisible wound. It is often ignored as its recognition may leave us feeling enraged, impotent and devastated. We may try to protect ourselves from it as adults by denying its emotional impact, projecting our feelings and down-playing its significance. But in later years, we become morally indignant when confronted with the extreme examples of its consequences such as juvenile delinquency (Alfandary, 1993). This denial, (Polansky, 1981) is putting democratic society in great danger. Students in secondary school may experience some forms of emotional abuse such as rejecting, isolating, terrorizing, ignoring, controlling, etc, that may have effects on their passage through the three major developmental stages of infancy, childhood and adolescence (Garbarino, et al, 1986). Like other forms of violence, emotional abuse is based on power and control. Emotional abuse of children can result in serious and /or behavioural problems, including depression, lack of attachment or emotional bond to a parent or guardian, low cognitive ability and educational underachievement, and poor social skills (McEachern, Aluede & Kenny, 2008). Children who experience rejection are more likely than accepted children to exhibit hostility, aggressive or passive- aggressive behaviour, to be extremely dependent, to have negative opinions of themselves and their abilities, to be emotionally unstable or unresponsive, and to have negative perception of the world around them. Most extant literature has focused more on physical abuse and sexual abuse, than the prevalence of emotional abuse in Nigeria s school system. There is rarity of empirical studies on emotional abuse by the teacher on students in Nigeria. Even though teachers serve not only as educators, but also, as important socializing agents who fulfill basic socio-emotional needs, such as belongings and self- esteem. This fact is supported by research evidence that teacher - child relationship exerts a major influence on the children s social, behavioural, emotional and academic adjustment (Pianta, 1999). Put simply, teachers act in loco parentis in the school to nurture children. But, teachers who consistently communicate a negative sense of identity to the child and refuse to accept and respond to the child s needs for human contact and attachment cannot be said to be promoting the developmental needs of the child. This action by the teacher amount to rejection, a form of emotional abuse. Some teachers are unaware of the impact of their behaviour upon children. It is possible that teachers are also unaware that emotional abuse is a form of child abuse that has serious damaging consequences on the development of children. They may perceive emotional abuse as a means of molding and shaping children s behaviour. Teachers may also lack alternatives in dealing with children who misbehave in schools. In the classroom, the importance of children s mental health should not be underestimated. Emotional abuse can affect it. Children must survive as psychologically intact individuals. It is apparent that a chronic pattern of psychological maltreatment destroys a child s sense of self and personal safety. This leads to adverse effects on intrapersonal thoughts, emotional health, social skills, learning impairments, and physical health (Nesbit & Philpot, 2002). A child may recover from physical pain and injuries, but may never recover from the terror, degradation, humiliation or breach of trust involved in emotional abuse (Briggs, 1995; Briggs & Hawkins, 1997). Although individual acts can be abusive, emotional abuse usually describes an ongoing interaction. It is a repeated pattern of damaging interactions between teachers or parents and the child that becomes typical of the relationship (Glaser, & Prior, 1997). The severity of emotional abuse should not be underestimated, and hence Geffner (2007) points out that emotional abuse can be thought of as the non-physical abuse of the self and spirit, which degrades worth and interferes with human development and productivity. The thrust of this paper is to evolve a theory that capture emotional abuse of students by their classroom teachers. This, Rogerian s self- concept theory is particularly indicated to be relevant. Rogers Theory The central concept in Rogers s theory is the self, an organized, consistent set of perceptions of and beliefs about oneself (Rogers, 1959). Once formed, plays a powerful role in guiding our perceptions and directing our behaviour. Rogers believed that our behaviour is not a reaction to unconscious conflicts, but a response 126

to our immediate conscious experience of self and environment (Rogers, 1951). Rogers (1951) believed that, without undue pressure from others, individuals naturally move toward personal growth, selfacceptance, and self-actualization, which is the fulfillment of their potential for love, creativity, and meaning. Emotional abuse is an undue pressure that can stifle such fulfillment in the life of children. Rogers (1902-1987) began his inquiry about human nature with people who were troubled. Rogers (1961) examined the conditioned, controlling world that kept them from having positive self-concept and reaching their full potential as human beings. Under the stress of pressure from society and family, however, people can develop rigid and distorted perspectives of self and can lose touch with their own values and needs. This can lead to emotional distress, unhealthy behaviour, and even loss of touch with reality. Emotional abuse will remove genuineness, acceptance and empathy that are the water, sun and nutrients that enable people to grow like vigorous oak tree. For as persons are accepted and prized, they tend to develop a more caring attitude towards themselves (Rogers, 1980, p. 116). Rogers theorized that at the beginning of their lives, children cannot distinguish between themselves and their environment. As they interact with their world, children begin to distinguish between the me and not me. The self-concept continues to develop in response to our life experiences, though many aspects of it remain quite stable over time (Passer & Smith, 2001). Once the self concept is established, there is a tendency to maintain it, for it helps us to understand ourselves in relation to the world. We therefore have needs for self-consistency (an absence of conflict among self perceptions) and congruence (consistency between self perceptions and experience). The self is a whole, consisting of one s self perceptions (how attractive I am, how well I get along with others, how good a scholar I am) and the value we attach to these perceptions (good / bad, worthy/ unworthy for example). Self concept refers to individuals overall perception of their abilities, behaviour, and personality. In Rogers s view, a person who has an inaccurate self-concept is likely to be maladjusted. It is believed that emotional abuse can cause such maladjustment in children. A child who is abused emotionally will suffer severe anxiety, depression, withdrawal, selfharming behaviour or aggressive behaviour towards others. Furthermore, the degree of congruence between self-concept and experience helps define one s level of adjustment. The more rigid and inflexible people s self concepts are, the less open they will be to their experiences and the more maladjusted they will become. If there is significant degree of incongruence between self and experience, and the experience are forceful enough, the defenses used to deny and distort reality may collapse, resulting in extreme anxiety and a temporary disorganization of the self concept. Rogers distinguished between the real self that is, the self as it really is as a result of our experiences and the ideal self, which is the self we would like to be. The greater the discrepancy between the real self and ideal self said Rogers, the more maladjusted we will be. To improve our adjustment, we can develop more positive perceptions of our real self, not worry so much about what others want, and increase our positive experiences in the world (Santrock, 2000). Rogers theorized on the need for positive regard. He believed that we are born with an innate need for positive regard that is, for acceptance, sympathy, and love from others. Rogers viewed positive regard as essential for healthy development. Ideally, positive regard received from parents is unconditional that is independent of how the child behaves. Unconditional positive regard communicates that the child is inherently worthy of love. Rogers stressed that we can help a person develop a more positive self-concept through unconditional positive regard, empathy and genuineness. He said that we need to be accepted by others, regardless of what we do. Furthermore, unconditional positive regard is Rogers s term for accepting, valuing, and being positive toward another person regardless of the person s behaviour. Rogers recognized that when a person s behaviour is below acceptable standards, inappropriate, or even obnoxious, the person still needs the respect, comfort, and love of others. Rogers strongly believed that unconditional positive regards elevate the person s self-worth (Passer & Smith, 2001; Santrock, 2000). Rogers also said we can help other people develop a more positive self-concept if we are empathic and genuine. Being empathic means being a sensitive listener and sense what it is like to be the client at any moment and understanding another s true feelings. Being genuine means being open with our feelings and dropping our pretenses and not hiding behind a facade. For Rogers, unconditional positive regard, empathy 127

and genuineness are three key ingredients of human relations. We can use these techniques to get other people to feel good about themselves and the techniques also help us to get along better with others. Another aspect of Rogers Theory is Conditional Positive regard. Conditional positive regard is Rogers term for love and praise being withheld unless the individual conforms to parents or social standards. The result is lower self esteem. People need positive regard not only from others, but also from themselves. We all want to feel good about ourselves. Thus a need for positive self regard from parents and other significant people in the past teaches that they are worthy of approval and love only when they meet certain standards. This fosters the development of conditions of worth that dictate when we approve or disapprove of ourselves. Rogers believed that conditions of worth can tyrannize people and cause major incongruence: between self and experience, together with a need to deny or distort aspects of experience. Rogers (1980) theorized on the fully functioning person and stressed the importance of becoming a fully functioning person someone who is open to experience, is not very defensive, is aware of and sensitive to the self and external world, and for the most part has a harmonious relationship with others (Nolen- Hoeksema, 2004). They feel a sense of inner freedom, self-determination, and choice in the direction of their growth. They have no fear of behaving spontaneously, freely, and creatively. Because they are fairly free of conditions of worth, they can accept inner and outer experiences as they are without modifying them defensively to suit a rigid self-concept or expectations of others (Nolen Hoeksema, 2004). Rogers (1980) believed that a person s basic tendencies are to actualize, maintain, and enhance life. He thought that the tendency for fulfillment toward actualizing one s essential nature and attaining potential is inborn in every person. By giving the self a central place in his theory, Rogers helped stimulate a great deal of research on the self esteem and its effects on behaviour. Self esteem (how positively or negatively we feel about ourselves) is a very important aspect of personal well being, happiness, and adjustment. Self esteem is related to many positive behaviours and life outcomes. People with high self esteem are less susceptible to social pressure, have fewer interpersonal problems, are happier with their lives, achieve at a higher and more persistent level, and are more capable of forming satisfying love relationships. In contrast, people with a poor self image are more prone to psychological problems like anxiety and depression, to physical illness, and to poor social relationships and underachievement. Children develop higher self esteem when their parents communicate unconditional acceptance and love, establish clear guidelines for behaviour, and reinforce compliance while giving the child freedom to make decision and express opinions within those guidelines. THE RELEVANCE OF CARL ROGERS THEORY TO EMOTIONAL ABUSE Carl Rogers s humanistic theory is relevant to research work on emotional abuse of students by teachers based on these reasons: Firstly, we are born with an innate need for positive regard that is, for acceptance, sympathy and love from others, says Rogers. Emotional abuse of students will negate such fulfillments in students lives. A teacher who spurn, reject, ignore, hurts, and isolate children will stifle the fulfillment of Rogers s species specifics characteristics. Consequently, development and productivity of children may be hampered. It is therefore apparent that when we are abreast with Rogers innate tendencies of human needs, we may be able to conduct good classroom management that will foster positive interaction in teacher children relationship and learning. Secondly, self concept is a central theme in Rogers and other humanists views. Self concept is individuals total perceptions of their abilities, behaviour, and personality. Emotional abuse of students may adversely affect development of positive self-concept. Students who are verbally assaulted, denigrated, belittled will not thrive in developing positive self concept. Self concept is still being developed in childhood and adolescence, much more than in adulthood (Nolen Hoekmsema, 2004). A period of significant experience of emotional abuse of students by teachers in the classroom while one s self 128

concept is undergoing substantial change may have long lasting effects on the content or structure of self concept. It is obvious that any experience we may come across that will be at variance with our self concept may predispose us to threat and anxiety. Emotional abuse is a key toxic ingredient in the development of such neuropsychiatric problems. Rogers s theory serves as an awareness process in the avoidance of circumstances that will lead to emotional block in the lives of growing children. Thirdly, Rogers Unconditional Positive Regard, empathy and genuineness should serve as guiding principles in classroom management. Rogers recognized that when person s behaviour is below acceptable standards, inappropriate or even obnoxious, the person still needs respects, comfort and love of others. A classroom where there is incidence and prevalence of emotional abuse of students, these humanistic characteristics are conspicuously absent. To develop good classroom ambience, we need to cultivate the spirit of empathy, genuineness and good listening ability. When unconditional positive regard is given little attention and conditional positive regard is highly emphasized, it leads to lower self-esteem. CONCLUSION Rogers theory is relevant to emotional abuse in that through his theory we know that for children to develop higher self esteem, parents, teachers, and significant others should communicate acceptance and love, establish clear guidelines for behaviour, and reinforce compliance while giving the child freedom to make decisions and expression of opinions. Emotional abuse is based on power and control and carried out with words, gestures and policies. It can result in serious and / or behavioural problems, including depression, lack of attachment, low cognitive ability and poor social skills. To facilitate good human development and productivity, our classroom management should be guided by Rogers theory and deliberate and conscious efforts should be taken to avoid emotionally abusive learning environment. 129

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