An example of learned helplessness can be observe in school classrooms. An student is free to stand up and go to the bathroom or to leave the building and make some fun during the class. They also realized this acting can cause them punishment and they learned that the best to do during class is to stay in their chair an pay close attention. This form helps the teachers and instructors to control a big group during class and students eventually regain a sense of control over themselves.

Another example during class time can be also, students standing up making fun and leaving the class and the teacher just stop and leave them making whatever they want because he realizes punishment does not make a difference in them. Later they just stop acting like that because they feel there is no importance of the teacher and they don't like it.

What is Learned Helplessness?

Learned helplessness can be seen as a coping mechanism some people employ in order to survive difficult or abusive circumstances. An abused child or spouse may eventually learn to remain passive and compliant at the hands of his or her abuser, since efforts to fight back or escape appear futile. Even if an opportunity to report or escape the abuse arises, many victims of long-term abuse choose to remain in the relationship because of learned helplessness.

"Whether or not we have hope depends on two dimensions of our explanatory style; pervasiveness and permanence. Finding temporary and specific causes for misfortune is the art of hope: Temporary causes limit helplessness in time, and specific causes limit helplessness to the original situation. On the other hand, permanent causes produce helplessness far into the future, and universal causes spread helplessness through all your endeavors. Finding permanent and universal causes for misfortune is the practice of despair... The optimistic style of explaining good events is the opposite of that used for bad events: It's internal rather than external. People who believe they cause good things tend to like themselves better than people who believe good things come from other people or circumstances."
~ Martin Seligman