that's horrible that you have to be on your guard all the time. I think that kids have become more prone to violence perhaps in part because of the fact that there aren't any consequences. When I was growing up and in in either 7th or 8th grade, there was a kid that was a bully to all of the teachers and disrupted every class he was in. He was soon expelled and as far as I know all the teachers and administration were in support of the teachers as were the parents. These days I think that support would immediately shift towards the students regardless of how awful they were.
I don't envy that you are in education now pal, I am really glad that I am not, no offense intended of course.
No offense taken. Honestly, I do love my job most of the time. But you're right, support often shifts straight to the students now. We've gone so far in protecting kids that we're not really protecting them anymore, just a select few, while the rest are left to deal with the consequences.