Educator Health

Acts of violence against educators are detrimental to the school environment and educator health and well-being. Many educators are feeling overwhelmed and burned out, lacking school or district support and resources to address the issue of violence. In 2022, at a U.S. Congress briefing organized by the APA Task Force on Violence Against Educators and School Personnel, a special education teacher explained that she decided to leave the profession after being punched in the face by a student. “I didn’t quit because of the overwhelming obstacles or even aggression from students,” she said. “I left because my administrators didn’t have the resources, and elected officials failed to give us the funding my students and my team needed to keep us all safe. They see the blood, they see the struggles, and they walk away.” (Walker, 2022)

“I left because my administrators didn’t have the resources, and elected officials failed to give us the funding my students and my team needed to keep us all safe. They see the blood, they see the struggles, and they walk away.”

In a 2022 NEA survey, 61 percent of respondents reported feeling burnout from the general stress of the COVID-19 pandemic (GBAO, 2022). Similar to pandemic rates, the APA Task Force found educators and school staff experienced high rates of work-related anxiety and stress after COVID-19 restrictions in 2022, with 68 percent of teachers; 70 percent of school staff; 65 percent of school psychologists, social workers, and counselors; and 39 percent of administrators reporting experiencing stress and anxiety (McMahon, Worrell et al., 2024). More than half of teachers reported wanting to quit their jobs (McMahon, Swenski, et al., 2024). Violence directed against educators led to work-related stress and anxiety and contributed to intentions to transfer or quit (McMahon, Swenski, et al., 2024). Schools and districts should provide support, training, and resources to educators and school personnel to improve mental health and well-being.