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Physical aggression toward teachers: Antecedents, behaviors, and consequences
Susan D McMahon1, Eric Peist1, Jacqueline O Davis1
1DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois.
Aggressive Behavior
|October 20, 2019
Summary
This study reveals common triggers and consequences of physical aggression against teachers, offering insights for school safety. Understanding these patterns is crucial for developing effective violence prevention strategies in educational settings.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Educational Psychology
- Criminology
Background:
- School violence, particularly physical aggression, poses significant risks to students and educators.
- Existing research on teacher-directed physical aggression is limited, especially regarding incident triggers and outcomes.
- Understanding the context of these incidents is vital for intervention and prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the antecedents and consequences of physical aggression experienced by teachers.
- To apply the antecedent-behavior-consequence (A-B-C) framework to teacher-directed physical aggression.
- To identify common patterns in physical aggression incidents involving teachers.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative investigation using an anonymous online survey.
- Sample comprised 193 elementary and secondary teachers.
- Conventional content analysis of described physical aggression incidents.
Main Results:
- Identified common antecedents: breaking up fights, discipline, and directives.
- Identified common consequences: student removal, staff involvement, positive outcomes, and inaction.
- Revealed seven distinct antecedent-behavior-consequence patterns in teacher-directed aggression.
Conclusions:
- The A-B-C framework is a useful tool for analyzing teacher-directed violence.
- Findings offer implications for research, practice, and policy in school violence prevention.
- Contextual understanding of aggression incidents informs targeted interventions and improved school safety.
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