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Citation
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McMahon SD, Anderman EM, Astor RA, Espelage DL, Martinez A, Reddy LA, Worrell FC. American Psychological Association. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 2022. |
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Abstract
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The US is experiencing trends of dramatic employee turnover in our nation’s schools. Current and future decisions to leave the field of education affect the quality of our schools and the next generations of learners, educators, and school leaders in the nation. Physical and verbal violence directed against educators may be exacerbating reports of high stress, transfers, and leaving the profession. We present the viewpoints and concerns of school personnel across the country and offer recommendations based on their reports for what can be done to prevent and address this trend.
This report presents findings from a national survey of violence against educators and school personnel in the US. The survey was conducted from July 2020 to June 2021 as the nation faced several significant challenges (e.g., racial unrest, a global pandemic, concerns over student mental health, and the aftermath of a disputed Presidential election). School stakeholders were asked to rate their experiences during COVID (since March 2020).
This technical report outlines key initial findings from the American Psychological Association (APA) Task Force’s Violence Against Educators and School Personnel survey. The APA Task Force administered an online survey to teachers and other school personnel (i.e., staff, social workers, psychologists, and administrators) across the United States (U.S.) during the 2020-2021 school year. This report specifically captures interests and plans to quit or transfer, victimization experiences, perceptions of safety, and recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic from about 15,000 participants. As teachers and schools learn to adjust to the realities of education during COVID, it is important to understand school safety concerns and how to best address them to create an effective and safe environment for students, teachers, and school staff. Several main points from this study are:
• A significant portion of respondents in all roles reported a desire to transfer or quit the education profession.
• Respondents identified verbal and threatening violence from students, parents, colleagues, and administrators during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Educators and school personnel experiences of physical aggression were primarily from student aggressors.
• Members of all groups expressed concerns for student academic well-being, with a specific focus on students needing additional supports.
• Members of all groups reported significant concerns about their safety related to the COVID- 19 pandemic, such as teaching in-person, masks, vaccinations, and social distancing. Participants cited the need for additional training and services for staff and students, including mental health, trauma-informed care and cultural awareness.
• Respondents also indicated concerns about broader community and systemic injustices impacting their schools, such as neighborhood safety, poverty and unstable homes. |