Teacher-Directed Violence and Anxiety and Stress: Predicting Intentions to Transfer and Quit

Teacher well-being and experiences of violence have become issues of national concern, and teacher shortages have increased since the onset of COVID-19. In this national study, we examined verbal and physical violence against teachers from multiple aggressors and the role of anxiety and stress in predicting intentions to transfer positions or quit the profession. The majority of the sample of 9,370 pre-Kindergarten-12th grade teachers was White (79%) and female (79%). Descriptive analyses revealed that 25% of teachers reported intentions to transfer schools and 43% of teachers reported intentions to quit teaching. Structural equation model results indicated pre-COVID-19 verbal and threatening violence from students, parents, colleagues, and administrators predicted teacher anxiety and stress and intentions to transfer schools (R2 ranged from .18 to .23) and quit the profession during COVID-19 (R2 ranged from .34 to .36). Anxiety and stress significantly mediated the relation between verbal and threatening violence across all aggressors and teacher intentions to transfer schools and quit the profession. Physical violence from certain aggressors predicted anxiety and stress and intention to transfer schools (R2 ranged from .15 to .18) and quit the profession (R2 ranged from .32 to .34). Further, teacher and school characteristics, such as identifying as a person of color and teaching at the middle and high school levels, were associated with greater intentions to transfer schools and quit the profession. Implications for school-based research, practice, and policy are discussed to address violence and promote positive work and learning environments for all school stakeholders. Impact and Implications Teachers who experience verbal and threatening violence from students, parents, colleagues, and administrators are at increased risk for anxiety and stress, which predict greater intentions to transfer schools and quit the profession. Physical violence from certain aggressors also predicts anxiety and stress and intentions to transfer schools and quit the profession. Effective, comprehensive policies and practices are needed to address violence across aggressors to enhance school safety and climate, teacher mental health, and retention.