(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Violence and threats are causing many teachers to consider quitting, according to a new study from DePaul University and the American Psychological Association.
Researchers surveyed thousands of educators, from the pre-K level through high school, regarding violent behavior from students before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Susan Dvorak McMahon, a psychology professor at DePaul University, led the study. She said 57% of the participating teachers confirmed plans to quit the profession due to experiences with violence and concerns about school climate.
“Sixty-five percent of our sample experienced at least one type of verbal and threatening aggression before COVID-19,” he said. “That includes things like verbal threats, insults, bullying, cyber bullying, sexual harassment, those kinds of things. During COVID, that dropped to about 33% of teachers, and then after COVID it was about 80%.”
The number of teachers who reported experiencing physical violence followed a similar pattern: It became less common during COVID but became much more frequent after COVID restrictions were lifted.
Compared to pre-COVID numbers, researchers said they saw a 14% increase in the number of teachers who said they experienced physical violence.
New findings from this study were published in the journal "American Psychologist." Find the full study here.
Listen to WBBM Newsradio now on Audacy!
Sign up and follow WBBM Newsradio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok