School Psychology Quarterly

School personnel well-being: Advancing measurement, best practices, and policy. Section 2: Role of traumatic experiences in educator well-being.
The special issue, “School Personnel Well-Being: Advancing Measurement, Best Practices, and Policy,” showcases empirical quantitative and qualitative research that presents a range of social–ecological factors that directly and indirectly associate with school personnel well-being, trauma, and safety in prekindergarten through 12th grade schools. This introduction article represents Section 2 of the special issue reviewing eight articles that focus on the Role of Traumatic Experiences in Educator Well-Being. Collectively, these studies increase awareness of school personnel trauma experiences and make important contributions to the field. We offer lessons learned from the studies and directions for research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
A qualitative examination of weapon violence against teachers: A theoretical framework and analysis.
Weapon violence in schools is a pressing concern with serious consequences. In this study, we propose and evaluate a theoretical framework of school-based weapon violence comprised of contributors, triggers, and motivation leading to weapon behaviors, taking into account weapon type, origin, and availability. This framework provides a foundation to investigate the multifaceted nature of weapon violence in schools. Specifically, we examine the weapon violence experiences of 417 U.S. teachers based on their reports of their most upsetting experiences with violence in their schools from various aggressors (i.e., students, parents, colleagues). Qualitative open-ended survey data were coded in NVivo after achieving strong interrater reliability (Gwet’s agreement coefficient with first-order chance correction, AC₁ = .97; κ = .80), and analyses were guided by the proposed theoretical framework. Results indicated that individual, school, peer, family, and community conditions contributed to situational triggers (teacher or other school-stakeholder actions), and aggressor motivation was typically instrumental or expressive. The type and origin of weapons also played a role in weapon behaviors of carrying, threats, and usage. Aggressors often used readily available objects (e.g., chair, pencil) as weapons against teachers in addition to traditional weapons (e.g., knives, guns). Findings suggest that weapon violence in schools requires a broader conceptualization beyond traditional weapons and violence between students. This study advances our understanding of pathways to weapon behaviors for prevention and intervention. Implications of findings for school-stakeholder training and policies are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Correlates of adverse childhood experiences and secondary traumatic stress in school personnel.
While previous research has noted the large numbers of school personnel with exposure to potentially traumatic experiences and its relation to secondary traumatic stress, it is unclear how different patterns of adverse childhood experiences influence secondary traumatic stress. As such, the present study employed latent profile analysis to examine natural groups of adverse childhood experience (ACE) history in 218 school mental health professionals (65% female; 55% White, 17.9% Black; 39% early career, 34% midcareer, and 28% late career; Mage = 32.91) and 348 teachers (80% female; 80.5% White, 6.3% Black; 16% early career, 14% midcareer, and 70% late career; Mage = 41.03) to examine the magnitude of secondary traumatic stress. The present study also examined the moderating effect of trauma-informed practice efficacy on the relationship between ACE history latent profiles and secondary traumatic stress. Four latent profiles were revealed among school personnel: (a) low ACEs, (b) average ACEs (c) neglected, and (d) high ACEs. Additionally, trauma-informed practice efficacy did not moderate the relationship between ACEs history profiles and secondary traumatic stress. Implications include targeted approaches for helping school personnel decrease secondary traumatic stress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Teachers’ psychological stress and wellbeing during a pandemic: Exploring latent profiles.
Teacher stress is at an all-time high. The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for teachers, which resulted in a record number of teachers intending to leave the classroom citing stress as a contributing factor. Understanding teachers’ positive and negative psychological experiences, or well-being, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic will inform teacher wellness interventions intended to keep teachers in the classroom. Two hundred forty-six teachers from a suburban school district participated in a survey of well-being indicators, including affect, perceived stress, teaching self-efficacy, and preventive coping. A latent profile analysis identified four patterns of well-being: strained, resilient, lower teaching self-efficacy, and lower emotional well-being. While many teachers were resilient during the crisis, approximately two-thirds experienced global or isolated areas of strain. Additionally, the Classroom Appraisal of Resources and Demands–Revised, a theory-driven assessment of teachers’ workplace appraisal of demands and resources, was associated with teachers’ strained and resilient well-being profiles, making it a suitable screening tool for these groups. Layered screening and tailored intervention, based on teachers’ well-being patterns, may help minimize teacher attrition during and postcrises. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Addressing violence against educators: What do teachers say works?
School personnel safety and well-being have received increased attention via national outlets; however, research is limited. The current investigation is the first to examine the reported use and perceived effectiveness of commonly used school-based intervention approaches for addressing school violence, specifically violence against teachers in U.S. schools. A sample of 4,471 prekindergarten–12th grade teachers was asked to rate the use and perceived effectiveness of common school-based approaches, namely exclusionary discipline (e.g., suspensions), school hardening (e.g., metal detectors, school police), prevention (e.g., school climate improvement, social–emotional learning, classroom management), and crisis intervention practices (e.g., de-escalation, physical restraint) to address verbal/threatening, physical, and property violence against teachers. Findings revealed that teachers rated prevention practices as most effective in reducing violence against teachers. The use of exclusionary discipline and crisis intervention practices at school was positively associated with all three forms of violence. Ratings of the effectiveness of specific practices were associated with lower likelihoods of verbal/threatening (i.e., hardening, prevention), physical (i.e., exclusionary discipline, hardening, prevention), and property (i.e., hardening) violence. Implications for school practice, research, and policy are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Teachers survive together: Teacher collegial relationships and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 disrupted the ecology of schools and negatively influenced teacher mental health and retention. This mixed-methods study investigates the relationship between teacher well-being and teacher collegial relationships after a year enduring COVID-19 pandemic disruptions. By analyzing data collected through surveys (N = 185) and interviews (N = 27) with U.S. teachers in Spring–Summer 2021, we explore how teacher collegial relationships influenced teacher well-being and unpack how teachers collaborated and supported each other during the pandemic. We find that positive teacher–teacher and teacher–administrator relationships were significantly associated with greater teacher well-being and that teacher–teacher relationships deepened as colleagues engaged in innovative and supportive pedagogical problem solving and provided emotional support, a “silver lining” in education that arose during the pandemic. By sharing and affirming stories of how teachers organized, collaborated, engaged in professional sensemaking, and supported each other’s emotional health and resilience, educational leaders can help reaffirm this narrative of teacher collective strength. Moving forward, schools should also create more opportunities for deep teacher collaboration, taking advantage of this opportunity to intentionally build on teachers’ growing skills, trust, and capacity to address broad organizational and curricular innovation together. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Violence directed against teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A social–ecological analysis of safety and well-being.
Violence against teachers is a public health crisis that has devastating effects on school personnel well-being, health, and retention, as well as students’ educational outcomes. In collaboration with national organizations, the American Psychological Association Task Force on Violence against Educators conducted the first national survey on educator victimization that included 4,136 pre-K through 12th-grade teachers from all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico during the pandemic. In the current study, 43.7% of teachers reported experiencing at least one verbal threat, physical assault, and/or property damage, with verbal threats being the most prevalent form of victimization during the pandemic. Using a social–ecological framework and logistic regression analyses, characteristics of teachers, school climate, and school organizational and community factors were examined as predictors of teacher victimization (i.e., verbal threats, physical, property violence) during the pandemic. Findings revealed that teacher role (i.e., special educators), negative and positive dimensions of school climate, as well as school organizational and community factors (i.e., percent of students receiving free and reduced lunch, instructional modality, school level, and urbanicity) significantly predicted greater teacher victimization. While findings revealed that in-person instruction significantly predicted teacher violence across aggressors, teacher victimization was reported across instructional modality (in-person, hybrid, remote). Results offer insights into possible contextual antecedents to teacher victimization, sense of safety, and well-being in schools. Implications for research and school practice are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Identifying what educators need to support trauma-informed practices in the schools: A community needs assessment.
Educators are often on the frontline of supporting the well-being of their students. Thus, it is critical to ask teachers what they need in regard to implementing trauma-informed practices in schools (TIPS). This mixed-methods, community-initiated needs assessment explored educators’ well-being and use of trauma-informed resources. A random selection of 450 certificated school staff from two school districts was invited to participate. Educators (n = 178; 39.5% response rate) completed a survey, and four focus groups were conducted (n = 14) to obtain feedback on factors affecting the use of TIPS. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were used to determine the factors most related to resource use. Teachers reported strong well-being and low levels of secondary traumatic stress, but high levels of burnout. Themes from the focus groups highlight administrator actions that can improve teacher well-being. Teachers rated their most used resources as a list of mental health resources, virtual-guided wellness activities, and opportunities to connect with others, whereas the most helpful were opportunities to connect with others, in-person-guided wellness activities, and training to identify students who may need support. Teacher well-being and school climate achieved traditional significance values for predicting teacher use of resources; however, they did not reach the Bonferroni-adjusted significance value. Results from this needs assessment indicate that teachers wanted resources to adequately respond to their own and their students’ mental well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Teacher-directed violence and anxiety and stress: Predicting intentions to transfer and quit.
Teacher well-being and experiences of violence have become issues of national concern, and teacher shortages have increased since the onset of COVID-19. In this national study, we examined verbal and physical violence against teachers from multiple aggressors and the role of anxiety and stress in predicting intentions to transfer positions or quit the profession. The majority of the sample of 9,370 pre-Kindergarten–12th grade teachers was White (79%) and female (79%). Descriptive analyses revealed that 25% of teachers reported intentions to transfer schools and 43% of teachers reported intentions to quit teaching. Structural equation model results indicated pre-COVID-19 verbal and threatening violence from students, parents, colleagues, and administrators predicted teacher anxiety and stress and intentions to transfer schools (R² ranged from .18 to .23) and quit the profession during COVID-19 (R² ranged from .34 to .36). Anxiety and stress significantly mediated the relation between verbal and threatening violence across all aggressors and teacher intentions to transfer schools and quit the profession. Physical violence from certain aggressors predicted anxiety and stress and intention to transfer schools (R² ranged from .15 to .18) and quit the profession (R² ranged from .32 to .34). Further, teacher and school characteristics, such as identifying as a person of color and teaching at the middle and high school levels, were associated with greater intentions to transfer schools and quit the profession. Implications for school-based research, practice, and policy are discussed to address violence and promote positive work and learning environments for all school stakeholders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

School Psychology - Vol 39, Iss 5