Music Class and Abuse

It is important for the teacher, who is one of the main actors in the cognitive, mental and psychological development of their students, to create a safe educational environment. However the state in Turkey has received reports that have found abusive behavior by some teachers. The main objective of this study is to question the existence of abuse by music teachers. The participants of the study consisted of 902 students studying in different Faculty of Education departments in Turkey. The research is a descriptive study and employed a survey model. The data were collected through an “Abuse in Music Class Questionnaire”, which was developed by the researcher. The results revealed that more than one-quarter of the responding students experienced emotional abuse and 5 to 10% suffered physical abuse in music classes during middle school and high school. Men reported emotional abuse significantly more than women. This study showed that students may experience abuse in music classes and that emotional abuse is more common than physical abuse. As far as reasons for abuse, classroom management problems, a lack of knowledge about pedagogic principles in the developmental characteristics of children, and teaching methods are highlighted. Keywords: abuse, music teacher, music class, abuse in music class, classroom management