Introduction
School culture is foundational to creating safe school environments. By addressing student physical and mental health needs and implementing strategies to support a safe school culture, schools can help deter school violence. NEA members reported that educators had serious concerns about school climate-related issues, such as student behavior and lack of respect from parents (GBAO, 2022). Research by the APA Task Force on Violence against Educators and School Personnel highlighted the relationship between school climate and student behavioral issues (Reddy et al., 2024). “Physical violence against teachers was predicted by two out of the four measures of school climate, specifically student climate problems and student behavioral problems” (Reddy et al., 2024, p. 5).
“Physical violence against teachers was predicted by two out of the four measures of school climate, specifically student climate problems and student behavioral problems.”
To effectively implement transformative support services, schools need to not only guarantee monetary investments but also employ efforts to ensure equity and community buy-in (Walker, 2022). Incident-focused strategies are unlikely to “move the needle” in creating safe and healthy environments. Practices should support safe school culture, social and emotional well-being, restorative discipline, and mental health; be developmentally appropriate; and consider student and community cultural factors (CASEL, 2025).
