The following blog post presents important information from the online magazine Healthline and written by Jase Peeples on June 30, 2022.
Other recent research sheds light on violence and harassment toward teachers and other school personnel during the pandemic. Published in March 2022, the study from the American Psychological Association (APA) Task Force on Violence Against Educators and School Personnel, surveyed nearly 15,000 teachers, administrators, school psychologists, and other school staff members in Pre-K through 12th-grade schools.
The researchers found that approximately one-third of teachers experienced at least one incident of verbal harassment or threat of violence from students during the pandemic.
“This includes verbal threats, cyber bullying, intimidation, and sexual harassment,” said Susan McMahon, PhD, of DePaul University and chair of the APA Task Force. Teachers and school staff also have to worry about aggression from adults.
“Educators experience violence and aggression from a range of offenders, including parents, administrators, and colleagues – it’s not just the students,” McMahon said. Nearly 30 percent of the surveyed teachers reported at least one incident of harassment or threat of violence from a parent of a student.
When it came to physical violence, 14 percent of teachers, 18 percent of school psychologists and social workers, and 15 percent of administrators experienced at least one violent incident by a student during the pandemic. This includes objects thrown, weapon use, sexual assault, and physical attacks.
“These rates are significant, particularly in the context of many schools operating in online or hybrid modalities,” McMahon noted.
While neither the RAND nor the APA Task Force reported on questions specific to school shootings, experts say the recent tragedies (as well as the need to prepare their own students for the unthinkable with lockdown drills) undoubtedly take a heavy toll on teachers and school staff.
“The effects of mass shootings on the school, educators, students, parents and the community are inconceivable,” McMahon said. “People shouldn’t feel like they have to risk their lives to do their jobs.”