It turns out that a positive teacher-child relationship can have a bigger impact than we thought, and that it can help to keep children away from crime. When our children are young, they spend most of their days at school. When you think about their waking hours and what they are doing, most of it is spent in school. This means that it is important that there is a positive relationship between a parent and their child’s teacher. However, it is also important that a child has a strong relationship with their teacher. It can foster a strong and positive learning environment, but the benefits may go beyond that.
According to Study Finds, a positive teacher-child relationship has been shown to keep children away from crime. This was shown through a study that was done by the University of Edinburgh and it can be read in full here. It found that the relationship a child has with their teacher can impact future crime rates.
To complete the study, researchers looked at the experiences of over 1,400 youth who experienced a change of teachers between the ages of 9 and 10 years old. They were able to identify pairs of people who had similar backgrounds and life influences, but had different experiences when switching teachers.
Every pair consisted of a child who had a good relationship with a teacher and one who had a worse relationship with their new teacher. They then compared their level of delinquency and violence at ages 13, 15, and 17 years old. At each milestone, the youth completed surveys that looked at their behavior, and their rates of stealing from home, shoplifting, or vandalism. The results were very telling and showed a direct link between teacher relationships and crime.
They found that those who had a better teacher-student relationship at age 11 had fewer delinquent acts up to the age of 17 when compared to those who had worse relationships with their teachers. They also showed to be less aggressive and violent when they were 17 years old. The researchers also pointed out that this could indicate that teachers may be more influential than parents when it comes to a child’s development. If they are not more influential, they have been proved to have a bigger influence than some may have originally thought. This study proves that it is important to make sure that a relationship between a child and their student is fostered and strong, and a message to both parents and educators.
Sources: Study Finds, The University Of Edinburgh