Anyone who's read the novel Farmer Boy, the second in Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House on the Prairie" series, probably remembers one alarming passage. The scene takes place in a one-room schoolhouse, where a new teacher responds to the behavioral issues of older male students by brandishing a bullwhip. While this disciplinarian stops short of actually whipping the teenagers, he does use it to trip one student. Some of the others make a hasty exit via the door, while others actually defenestrate themselves to get away.

This passage, along with myriad similar accounts, proves that American schools have been plagued by disciplinary problems since the public school system's infancy. Yet extreme behavioral issues have been increasing quickly and exponentially in the post-pandemic education landscape. That means desperate measures on the part of administrators, teachers, and other education experts. Let's take a closer look.

Poor Behavior in Post-Pandemic Classrooms

There are, naturally, a high number of anecdotal reports—not to mention police reports—that illustrate how, as lockdowns were lifted throughout 2021 and 2022, violence and other disciplinary concerns returned to schools along with students. The statistics bear this out as well.

In a survey of school administrators conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly half (48 %) of respondents reported an increase in disrespectful behavior, while 56% of respondents discussed a spike in classroom disruptions.

Underlying Factors Leading to Misbehavior Among Students

Parents, teachers, and experts all expected that kids would return to school with a great deal of emotional baggage, along with masks and hand sanitizer. They had been largely isolated from their peers, struggling to stay on track with academic standards and goals and—like people of every age—trying to cope with significant stressors. Chief among those grief. Over 200,000 children under the age of 18 lost a parent or primary caregiver to COVID-19, according to the COVID Collaborative.

Another factor was the ad hoc approach to teaching necessitated by both the inherent risks of remote learning and the near-universal uncertainty regarding the length of lockdowns or progression of the virus. Upon their return to in-person classrooms, a segment of students were scrambling to get up to speed. Another percentage dealt with boredom resulting from a lack of academic rigor.

These conditions and contributing factors were a veritable perfect storm resulting in student misbehavior and misconduct.

Addressing the Issues From a Legislative Perspective

Amid growing fears over safety in the nation's schools, lawmakers are looking to shore up security measures and to (re-)implement stricter disciplinary policies. Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Arizona, and Nevada all have bills either recently passed or are currently under consideration. The infractions they're intended to curb run the gamut as well. Some examples include:

• Swearing
• Dress-code violations
• Being disobedient or disrespectful to teachers or staff
• Causing classroom disruptions
• Throwing objects, including a scissors in one case, at teachers
• Violent behavior toward other students, teachers, or staff
• Assault
• Gun violence

What change would be effected by the proposed bills—which, by and large, seek to strengthen suspensions and expulsions without addressing any root causes or contributing factors—remains to be seen.

Is Your Child Facing Suspension?

Children and teenagers aren't always capable of making the right choice in tricky situations or processing their own emotions in a healthy, effective manner. The stress of the pandemic has weighed heavily on most of us, and unfortunately, our sons and daughters are not exempt.

If your child is facing disciplinary action for disrupting the classroom, threatening a teacher, or physically assaulting a classmate, call Attorney Joseph D. Lento and his Student Defense team They will work hard to ensure that your student's academic goals can be achieved—and that their academic challenges can be resolved. Call 888.535.3686 or click here to find out how the Lento Law Firm Team can help.