Teacher Caring as a Protective Factor: The Effects of Behavioral/Emotional Risk and Teacher Caring on Office Disciplinary Referrals in Middle School

Risk for behavioral/emotional problems in adolescence is a significant predictor of negative student outcomes, including lower academic achievement and future disciplinary problems. Latinx students are often overrepresented in school disciplinary practices, highlighting the need for further research specifically within this population. Based on the framework of resilience, students’ relationships with teachers may serve as protective factors against behavioral problems for those who are at elevated levels of risk for problematic outcomes. The current study examined associations and interactions among risk for behavioral/emotional problems, office disciplinary referrals (ODRs), and teacher caring within a sample of 1151 predominantly Latinx middle school students. Higher levels of behavioral/emotional risk and lower levels of teacher caring predicted more ODRs, as expected. An interaction between behavioral/emotional risk and teacher caring suggested that the effect of teacher caring was even more pronounced for students who did not present with elevated levels of behavioral/emotional risk; students with normal levels of risk who reported higher levels of teacher caring received significantly fewer ODRs than those students with normal risk who reported lower levels of teacher caring. Implications for practitioners are discussed, with emphasis placed on the importance of culturally responsive practices.