Canadian Occupational Safety

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 7 Lack of student support services contributing to violence towards teachers A ccording to a national study conducted by the Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF), the growing number of violent — and under-reported — incidents towards teachers is often linked to a lack of critical resources and supports for students in schools. "A child's feelings of abandonment in which his/ her educational, social and emotional needs are not being met may lead to violent outbursts… And that violence against teachers is taking a toll on educators' mental and physical well-being as well as their self-worth as professionals," said CTF president Mark Ramsankar. The federation's first-ever Canada-wide research review on violence in schools points to some of the drivers behind the increased rates of violence: widespread underfunding for public education; lack of resources and support services for addressing violence against teachers (including in-service supports and training); and serious inadequacies in services and supports for student mental health, behavioural and special education needs. Rates of violence experienced by teachers are very high, ranging from 41 per cent to 90 per cent of surveyed teachers in jurisdictions across Canada. More than 70 per cent of teachers also report that both the rate and severity of violence in schools are increasing. Teachers who are female, work in elementary schools, in lower socio- economic areas or in large metropolitan locations are more likely to experience violence, as are special education teachers. Verbal and emotional violence is the most frequently reported type of violence experienced by educators, followed by physical violence. Students are the perpetra- tors of this violence in a very large majority (typically over 90 per cent) of reported incidents, the research review found. According to CTF, violence against teachers negatively affects their well-being, is associated with increased rates of depression, can lead to burnout and may result in teachers leaving the profession. Teachers may also experience physical health symptoms, including physical injury, headaches and fatigue. While a large majority of teachers experience or witness some form of violence in their schools, research confirms that there is significant under-reporting of violence to school administrators or police. "Teachers are caring professionals who are committed to their students," said Ramsankar. "In fact, the report discovered that teachers under-report violent incidents out of concern for their students and also because they fear it may reflect poorly on their worth as an educator. We, as a society, have a responsibility to ensure professional expertise, resources and support are in place in schools." Workplace stress primary cause of mental health issues: Report C anadian employees suffering from a mental health problem or mental illness, such as depression or anxiety, report work- place stress as the primary cause of their issue, according to a recent report. Suicide remains a top concern, with more than one-half (58 per cent) of survey respondents reporting they had consid- ered taking their lives to cope with mental illness. "Mental health is not binary in that people either have issues or not; it lies along a continuum and can change depending on the challenges we face," said Bill Howatt, chief research and development officer, workforce productiv- ity, Morneau Shepell. "It's critical that employers consider the mental health of the entire workforce and develop a strategy that addresses all levels of mental health programming." In today's organizations, Canadians reported high levels of concern regarding the impact of their mental health issues on their career and job performance, found the report, which was a joint effort of Morneau Shepell and the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). Close to 70 per cent of the 1,600 respondents stated that their work experience impacted their mental health, while a higher number (78 per cent) reported mental health as the primary reason for missing work. "Implementing a successful, comprehensive mental health strategy takes time but is integral to the overall health of the organization," said Louise Bradley, president and CEO of the MHCC. Despite the prevalence of mental health issues, employees are confident in their ability to cope with stressful situations. More than one-half (54 per cent) of respondents indicated they have high/optimal coping skills. Employees identified the use of positive coping mechanisms as seeking professional support, and negative coping strategies as drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco. Effective policies to curb mental health issues — including preventative measures, early intervention and supportive return-to-work policies — should be embedded across all stages of employment, from hiring to retirement or turnover, said Morneau Shepell. Dangers of logging, forestry not worth the risk A n inaugural report by personal finance comparison website Finder Canada has ranked 18 industries in terms of their risk and reward to find the most dangerous jobs and whether or not their salaries are worth the risk. Logging and forestry was found to be the most dangerous industry across Canada, with 11 fatalities and 1,324 claims, and only 48,100 people in the industry (2.8 per cent of employees injured or killed). Not only was it found to be the most dangerous industry, but it was also the least rewarding in terms of risk and reward, with an average weekly salary of $1,109, yielding a Finder job score of just 2.2. It was followed by the accommodation, food and beverage services (2.8) and the construction industry (3.7). According to Finder Canada's Dangerous Jobs Report, the finance and insur- ance industry received the best job score of 210, with an average weekly wage of $1,260 and no recorded fatalities. Real estate and insurance was the next best industry in terms of risk and reward, with an average weekly salary of $969 per week. There were no recorded fatalities for 2016 in this industry and it had 1,669 claims — just 0.52 per cent of all employees. The industry landed on a job score of 18.5. The third best industry was business services, which earned an average weekly salary of $1,727. Despite this ranking, it saw nine fatalities and 6,728 claims in 2016. "These findings show that there are potential dangers in every industry — even the ones some people might not expect, like business or educational services industries," said Michelle Hutchison, money expert at Finder.com. "But more importantly, this study puts into context the value of that risk and whether or not people are adequately compensated for the risk their job demands." TOP 10 WORST INDUSTRIES FOR RISK/REWARD 1. Logging and forestry (job score 2.2) 2. Accommodation, food and beverage services (2.8) 3. Construction (3.7) 4. Public administration (3.7) 5. Transportation and storage (3.8) 6. Retail trade (3.9) 7. Manufacturing (3.9) 8. Communication and other utilities (4.2) 9. Fishing and trapping (4.3) 10. Health and social services (4.5)

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