Addressing violence against educators: What do teachers say works?

What is it about?

This study asked a national sample of K-12 teachers about their experiences as the targets of school violence and their schools’ safety practices including exclusionary discipline, school hardening, prevention, and crisis intervention practices. Specifically, this investigation examined whether educators’ perceptions of the use and effectiveness of these common school safety strategies are associated with teacher-directed violence. The study findings indicate that teachers working in schools that used exclusionary discipline and crisis intervention practices were more likely to experience violence. However, when teachers thought that practices were effective, they were less likely to experience violence themselves.

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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Educators are often the targets of school violence, and these experiences are associated with adverse mental health and professional consequences. Yet very little is known about school interventions and practices that can help to ensure teachers’ safety. The findings of this study are of empirical and practical value to practitioners, policy makers, and researchers as it offers a critical first step that can inform the future design and evaluation of promising school-based interventions targeting violence directed against teachers.

Perspectives