When Discipline Becomes Violence: Student Conflicts and Assaults in Schools

There was a time when a stern look or a warning was enough to bring discipline in classrooms. But today, we’re hearing heartbreaking news; teachers kicking a child, slapping a student repeatedly, or locking a kid in a room “to teach a lesson.” Schools, meant to be safe spaces, are turning into places where fear is mistaken for discipline.

Recently, two shocking incidents in Karnataka, one in Bengaluru and the other in Chitradurga, have highlighted how easily “discipline” can hide behind the mask of violence. In Chitradurga, a nine-year-old boy at a residential school was brutally beaten by his teacher for calling home without permission. The teacher, seen kicking the child as he begged for forgiveness, later went missing after the video went viral.

In Bengaluru, another Class 5 boy was beaten with a PVC pipe by teachers and a principal for being absent for two days. They even locked him alone in a room for hours. Imagine the fear, the helplessness, the confusion of a child who trusted his school, now scarred by those who should have protected him.

And it doesn’t stop there. A teacher in Kilpauk, Chennai, was suspended after slapping a Class 3 student repeatedly and threatening to strip him in front of his classmates, all for not reciting a poem. The school called it an isolated incident. But how many times have we heard this phrase before?

Discipline is meant to guide children, not destroy their confidence or dignity. What begins as “correction” can easily become cruelty when anger takes over reason. No child learns better through fear. Instead, they learn to withdraw, lie, or suffer silently. Emotional scars are often deeper than bruises.

For many children, this violence creates long-term damage like anxiety, fear of authority, and loss of trust. Some start dreading school. Others internalize the message that pain is part of learning. That’s not education. That’s trauma disguised as discipline.

Even for teachers, these moments of anger leave guilt, regret, and in many cases, the loss of career and respect. Nobody wins in violence; not the teacher, not the student, not the school.

We, as parents, often believe that discipline at home or school is necessary. And yes, boundaries and rules are essential as they build responsibility. But discipline should never humiliate, intimidate, or harm.

The line is crossed the moment a child is physically or emotionally hurt in the name of correction. Yelling, threatening, isolating, or hitting are forms of violence, not “training.”

True discipline means:

For parents, it’s equally important to question schools’ disciplinary methods. When your child says, “Ma, my teacher slapped me,” don’t brush it off with “You must have done something wrong.” Believe them. Ask questions. Children rarely lie about pain.

Schools must understand that modern classrooms cannot run on the old formula of fear equals respect. Training teachers in emotional regulation, conflict management, and child psychology isn’t optional anymore; it’s urgent.

School managements must have clear reporting systems and CCTV monitoring. Every school should have a child safety committee, not just on paper, but active in reality. Teachers must feel supported, not burdened, so that stress doesn’t spill out as aggression.

Children should be taught that their body and dignity are their rights. Whether it’s a slap, a threat, or a verbal insult, they must know it’s okay to speak up. We need to replace the culture of silence with courage and communication.

We can start this at home:

We can’t raise confident, kind children by breaking their spirits. Discipline without love breeds fear; discipline with compassion builds character. As parents, teachers, and citizens, our role is not to control children but to guide them gently.

Let’s make schools safe again and not just for learning lessons, but for living them.