Violence in the School Community: Students, Parents, Teachers, and Staff Members

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychiatric, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2024 | Viewed by 2857

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
Interests: school violence and bullying; violence against school teachers; school climate; school safety; students' social emotional and academic outcomes; parental school involvement

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Guest Editor
School of Business Administration, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
Interests: human resource management diversity; equity and inclusion in organizations; qualitative research methods

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Traditionally, studies of school violence in the literature have been focused on violence perpetrated and experienced by school students. During the past decade, however, there has been growing awareness that teachers may also be perpetrators and victims of school violence perpetrated by students, parents, and colleagues. This line of research reflects a growing awareness that the school is a community, and as such, violence may take place among all members of the community, whether they be students, educational staff members, parents, secretaries, bus drivers, or any other stakeholders who play a role in school. This area of research is, however, underdeveloped. Due to the limited scope of research on school violence experienced by all school stakeholders, there is little conceptualization and empirical knowledge in this area.

It is therefore important to develop theories and expand research to understand the prevalence and mechanisms of the multiple aspects of school violence present in various school communities, precisely because it encompasses all stakeholders and community members. This area of research will lead to measures to prevent school violence in all its forms.

Therefore, this Special Issue of Behavioral Sciences will focus on school violence as experienced and perpetrated by all members of the school community, including its prevalence, consequences, and prevention. This Special Issue will include empirical studies on the various types of violence experienced by the school community, the scope of the problem, the association between different stakeholders’ experience of violence and related antecedents, and the consequences for all involved. In addition, research that sets the stage for effective interventions and prevention approaches (as well as the best practices for creating a safe environment for the entire school community) is encouraged.

This Special Issue will serve as a platform for scholars to explore topics including, but not limited to, the following:

  • The mutuality of violence among students, teachers, and parents;
  • Collegial violence in schools;
  • Violence against school teachers;
  • Parental involvement in and reports of school violence;
  • School staff involvement in and reports of school violence (e.g., teachers, principals, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, administration staff/secretaries, janitors, school psychologists, school social workers, counselors, etc.);
  • Interventions, prevention, and effective approaches to increase school safety for the entire school community, including students, teachers, and other staff members.

Dr. Ruth Berkowitz
Dr. Naama Bar-on Shmilovitch
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • school violence
  • bullying
  • victimization
  • students
  • school educational staff
  • school support staff
  • administrative staff
  • teachers, collegial school violence
  • parents

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 573 KiB  
Article
Teachers’ Roles in Coping with School Violence from the Perspectives of Prospective Teachers: A Q Methodological Approach
by Taeeun Shim and Cheolhae Ye
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1099; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14111099 - 15 Nov 2024
Viewed by 530
Abstract
This study explores prospective teachers’ perceptions of school violence and their role in addressing it. Using a mixed method called Q methodology, we quantitatively analyzed the subjective views of 37 prospective teachers. Based on 33 statements, the study categorizes teachers’ roles in managing [...] Read more.
This study explores prospective teachers’ perceptions of school violence and their role in addressing it. Using a mixed method called Q methodology, we quantitatively analyzed the subjective views of 37 prospective teachers. Based on 33 statements, the study categorizes teachers’ roles in managing school violence and analyzes the characteristics of each role type. The research results provide basic data for prospective teachers to develop their capabilities as experts in dealing with school violence. The study identifies the following three types of teachers: prevention-oriented (Type 1), reality-avoiding (Type 2), and legal-regulation-oriented (Type 3). Type 1 emphasizes that teachers can significantly prevent school violence and believes that trusting relationships between teachers and students are key to reducing school violence. Type 2 teachers tend to ignore school violence out of fear of harm, even though they acknowledge its seriousness. Type 3 emphasizes the strict enforcement of legal responsibilities and rules, believing that clear regulations and punishments are essential for reducing school violence. This study highlights the need for customized educational programs that reflect the characteristics of different teacher types in handling school violence. It suggests incorporating practical strategies for preventing and responding to school violence in teacher training, expanding mental-health education, and promoting cooperative conflict-resolution methods between students and teachers. Full article
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12 pages, 778 KiB  
Article
Administrator Turnover: The Roles of District Support, Safety, Anxiety, and Violence from Students
by Andrew H. Perry, Linda A. Reddy, Andrew Martinez, Susan D. McMahon, Eric M. Anderman, Ron A. Astor, Dorothy L. Espelage, Frank C. Worrell, Taylor Swenski, Kailyn Bare, Christopher M. Dudek, Jared Hunt, Adriana I. Martinez Calvit, Hyun Ji Lee and Xi Liu
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 1089; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14111089 - 13 Nov 2024
Viewed by 899
Abstract
Researchers have examined the importance of school administrative support for teacher safety, victimization, anxiety, and retention; however, studies to date have rarely focused on school administrators’ perceptions of support by their district leaders, and its relation to administrators’ anxiety/stress, safety, and their intentions [...] Read more.
Researchers have examined the importance of school administrative support for teacher safety, victimization, anxiety, and retention; however, studies to date have rarely focused on school administrators’ perceptions of support by their district leaders, and its relation to administrators’ anxiety/stress, safety, and their intentions to transfer or quit their jobs. In the current study of 457 PreK-12th grade school administrators in the United States, structural equation modeling was used to examine relations between administrators’ perceptions of support from their district leaders and their anxiety/stress, safety, and intentions to transfer or quit their jobs. Administrator experiences of violence by student offenders served as a moderator. Results indicated that administrators’ perceptions of district leaders’ support were associated with lower intentions to transfer or quit their positions both directly and indirectly as a function of decreased anxiety/stress. District support was positively related to administrator safety, particularly for administrators who reported experiencing more student violence. Findings highlight the importance of district support of administrators for reducing mental health concerns and transfer/quit intentions in the context of student violence against school administrators. Implications of findings for research and practice are presented. Full article
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18 pages, 315 KiB  
Article
School Social Workers’ Reports of Differences in Policies and Practices in Trauma-Informed and Non-Trauma-Informed Schools
by Kate R. Watson, Ron Avi Astor, Gordon P. Capp and Rami Benbenishty
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 991; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14110991 - 24 Oct 2024
Viewed by 735
Abstract
This study explored trauma-informed schools from the perspective of social workers, documenting the reported practices and policies associated with trauma-informed approaches in U.S. schools. Survey data from 538 school social workers were analyzed to investigate the differences in policies and practices between schools [...] Read more.
This study explored trauma-informed schools from the perspective of social workers, documenting the reported practices and policies associated with trauma-informed approaches in U.S. schools. Survey data from 538 school social workers were analyzed to investigate the differences in policies and practices between schools identified as trauma informed and not. Logistic regression analyses examined whether the presence of specific school practices and policies was associated with the identification of a school as trauma informed. Of a wide array of programs and policies that may be present in trauma-informed schools, only the presence of trauma training and resources for secondary traumatic stress were key predictors of social workers’ identification of a school as trauma informed. The implementation of trauma training has long been the primary focus of trauma-informed approaches in schools. Should commitment to trauma-informed approaches endure, we recommend moving beyond training and secondary traumatic stress resources to deepen the field’s focus on implementing trauma-informed practices and policies at all organizational levels. We also recommend that future research looks carefully at how some school safety and trauma-informed approaches may be incompatible and the extent to which trauma-informed approaches improve or detract from children’s educational experiences and outcomes. Full article

Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Student Violence Against Paraprofessionals in Schools: A Socio-ecological Analysis of Safety and Well-being
Author: Reddy
Highlights: Rates of student violence against paraprofessionals ranged from 37% (property offenses), 49.5% (physical violence), and 54% (verbal and threatening violence). Student-staff relationship problems and student behavioral concerns are positively related to verbal and threatening, physical, and property violence against paraprofessionals. Elementary schools were more likely to have physical and property violence than middle or high school schools.

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