Violent incidents on the rise in Waterloo Region public schools

Violence in Waterloo Region’s public schools has increased, according to findings from a recent board report.

Students have been back in the classroom for some time now following the pandemic, but it seems disruptions of a different kind could be putting staff in harm’s way.

Between February and mid-April, local public schools reported 1,067 incidents which ranged in severity from near misses to more serious physical outbursts. In some cases, staff even had to take time off work because of their injuries.

“I wish we were surprised,” said Jeff Pelich, Waterloo Region’s president for the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO).

There's one catch – 1,037 of those reported cases took place in elementary schools.

ETFO is now sounding the alarm.

“Each of those incidents equates to students who are struggling, a situation where the student wasn’t getting the support they need and therefore, communicating in a way that comes across as aggressive or poses a safety risk for staff,” Pelich said.

The frequency of these cases is also climbing.

Last year, 2,637 incidents were reported to the public school board. But the board has already surpassed that number during the first three quarters of this school year.

“And that’s just a small drop in the bucket. Those are the incidents that were reported,” Pelich explained.

In terms of which staff are at the heart of most incidents, it seems educational assistants saw the highest amount, representing more than 47 per cent of all cases.

That is followed by elementary teachers who experienced 30 per cent of all violent incidents.

“The board explained that some of these incidents are caused by student or staff absenteeism. And my question back would be: ‘Why are they absent?’ Oftentimes the students or staff are absent because they’ve been injured and they have been facing this level of aggression for so long that they’re facing a tremendous amount of stress,” Pelich said.

Fourth quarter results have yet to be announced, but the upward trend is a sign the board could surpass 4,000 violent-related incidents this school year.

ETFO members, meanwhile, suggest there needs to be a full-court press when it comes to offering mental health supports for children.

They feel help for struggling students needs to happen – and fast.