This expectation that the problem should disappear as soon as possible can become another demand that violence should not be visible, and another way a person who has experienced violence loses control.

Diagnoses of learning disabilities, ADHD, mental illness or post traumatic stress disorder may be of value to help students recognize the difficulties they are having and believe that with supports they will be able to learn. Diagnoses of this sort may enable students to access accommodations which support their learning. But they can also become blocks to exploring the source of students' problems, leading them to a label of illness, and diverting them from assigning meanings to their difficulties which are associated with the violence they have experienced. Diagnoses can lead to pressure from others that they take treatment and get over their problem as fast as possible.

Being accountable for "teaching"

In Ontario over the last few years, we have repeatedly heard the argument that cutbacks are not affecting the classroom. During this research I began to fully understand that this assertion can be made only if teaching is narrowly understood as imparting information. When teaching is not understood to include attention to the whole student, to why they are skipping school, or acting out, or sitting silently in the back of the room, then students' problems are seen as irrelevant to teaching. Several teachers said they were told that they should ignore issues of violence in students' lives:

They basically say "Your job is to teach. [Violence] is not your responsibility. Don't try and be the social worker-you have no background in that. You can make the situation worse. Be open, and let the person come to you, but take them to the guidance counsellor." (Art teachers)

Hearing disclosures of violence is not the most important goal for teachers, however, recognizing the impact of violence is an important aid to effective learning. This is possible when teachers can work in concert with supportive people in a broad range of different roles who can establish strong connections with each student. When those other people are not present in the school, teaching is effectively curtailed.