‘Alarming’ new survey finds nearly 80% of Ontario elementary teachers experience school violence, says union

The Elementary Teacher's Federation of Ontario (ETFO) said nearly 80 per cent of teachers have seen or personally experienced violence in their schools, according to a survey of its members released on Monday.

The teachers union held a press conference on Monday to share what it called concerning" and alarming" results of its school violence survey.

The union commissioned its 2023 All-Member Violence Survey from consulting firm Strategic Communications Inc., which conducted the survey in February and March.

The survey results may shock the public, but they're not a surprise to ETFO members," president Karen Brown said.

About 80 per cent of members said violent incidents are on the rise compared to when they first started working as teachers in Ontario. A little over 40 per cent said they have suffered a physical injury, illness or psychological injury as a result of school violence against them.

During the press conference held at the unions provincial office in Toronto, Brown said female, Indigenous, disabled and LGBTQ+ teachers were more likely to have experienced physical force in school incidents. She was joined by Lisa Dunbar, a teacher in Peel Region and Rob Hammond, president of the Near North teachers local.

The ETFO survey found that its members who work in special education are more likely to experience school violence. Teachers reported that staffing supports like social workers and educational assistants were sometimes, rarely or never available when needed.

Hammond said teachers would call him in tears after violent incidents at their schools.

A lot of them are looking to retire early because they're beyond frustrated ... We are overwhelmed and underfunded," he said.

Dunbar said students are not to blame for the violence, but are simply reacting to a stressful environment.

Sometimes students engage in violence as a way to communicate that they are overwhelmed," she said.

Dunbar stressed the need for better school supports such as smaller class sizes and more government funding.

Union in bargaining talks with Ford government

The ETFO and other teachers unions are currently in bargaining talks with the Ford government.

The ETFO represents about 83,000 members including elementary teachers and early childhood educators.

In March, it said discussions remain positive and progress continues to be made."

However, senior government officials speaking confidentially told the Star that they fear the possibility of a teachers' strike in September due to the slow pace of negotiations.

Speaking at an unrelated press announcement in Mississauga on Monday, Premier Doug Ford said that's our goal ... protecting the teachers."

We're always going to advocate for the teachers and make sure there's never violence in our schools," he said but did not provide specifics.

Ford also said families play a role, adding it starts at home ... I will speak for my parents - God forbid I ever went up and hit a teacher. I'd get twice the hit when I got home, and I think everyone out there would say the same thing," he said.

You respect your teachers ... they are there to give you guidance, make you a better person. So enough of going after teachers - I couldn't do the teachers' job, to be very frank with you," Ford said.

Lack of resources amid rise in school violence

Staff have struggled to cope with rising violence in Toronto's high schools, an issue that is compounded by staffing shortages, budget constraints and a general lack of resources to help kids in crisis.

In December, students at York Memorial staged a walkout over concerns about violence, over-policing and a lack of teachers.

Toronto District School Board chair Rachel Chernos Lin met with Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce in December to address the rise in school violence.

Recent school incidents include the drive-by shooting of a 15-year-old Weston Collegiate Institute student in February, which resulted in attempted murder charges for two 17-year-old boys.

In February of 2022, 18-year-old Jahiem Robinson was shot dead at his school, Scarborough's David and Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute.

Last November, 18-year-old Jefferson Peter Shardeley Guerrier died from gunshot wounds outside of Woburn Collegiate Institute, also in Scarborough.

With files from Kris Rushowy

Marissa Birnie is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @marissabirnie