The prevalence of abuse and harassment in schools throughout the North is a reflection of modern society, the president of the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association believes.

'It's difficult being a parent, and it's difficult being a student. It's a societal issue,' Amanda Mallon said in an interview this morning from Yellownife.

She has been in the teaching profession for 30 years.

Mallon is meeting with Jimmy Jacquard, president of the Nunavut Teachers' Association, and Jim Tredger, president of the Yukon Teachers' Association, in Yellowknife this week to discuss school safety.

'All three organizations are seeing an increase in reported incidents (of harassment),' said Mallon.

'What is particularly alarming is the severity of the incidents is escalating. We've had teachers bitten and spat on by students.

'We have had teachers leave in the middle of the year due to harassment by community members. In the long run, these incidents are affecting the success of students in northern classrooms.'

Some of the most severe incidents have included a student urinating in a teacher's water bottle and a teacher who was kicked in the stomach while eight months' pregnant.

Over the last year and a half, the Northwest Territories has lost 45 teachers due to harassment, said Mallon.

'We tell teachers, You don't have to put up with this. This is not acceptable. You would not let students do this to each other so why should you let them do this to you?''

However, many incidents of harassment go unreported, Mallon said.

Harassment in schools is 'quite serious,' Tredger said.

'Over 75 per cent of Yukon teachers said they have experienced personal insults, name-calling and other verbal abuse at some point in their teaching career. Teachers have been verbally abused by students and parents.

'I think it's increasing (because of) a number of factors,' said Tredger, formerly the principal of Jack Hulland Elementary School.

'I think as a society, we're increasingly under stress, and that plays out on the kids. As a society, I think we need to find ways to help them.'

Steps the Yukon Teachers' Association has already taken include the Breakfast for Learning program, which provides food for hungry students.

'Hungry kids can't learn,' Tredger noted.

Tredger added that there's been an increase in the number of educational assistants in schools, although there's a need for more.

While Mallon said school harassment is rising throughout Canada, Jacquard said the problem is particularly severe in the North.

'There's no doubt that it's much more of an issue in the North,' said Jacquard. 'It's very clear that in the North, you are more likely to witness violence or be a victim of violence.'

Jacquard said there is a multitude of contributing factors, such as substance abuse and socio-economic background.

Last year, 66 Nunavut teachers filed reports of abuse, almost half of which were about violent incidents, said Jacquard.

In an effort to promote school safety, the Nunavut Teachers' Association launched a campaign last year called Make Learning Safe.

Nine thousand bookmarks and 700 posters picturing a bandaged apple were distributed to all 25 communities in Nunavut, said Jacquard. The campaign was 'really well-received by the public' and helped raise awareness.

'We need to bring this issue to the forefront,' said Mallon. She cited 'constant research, constant contact with the media' as the best ways of solving the problem.

'We just have to keep talking.'

The teachers' associations in the Yukon and Northwest Territories are also considering launching campaigns similar to the one in Nunavut. Mallon said she hopes to create a national campaign that focuses on cyberbullying and bullying in general.