Teachers as Victims of School Violence – the Influence of Strain and School Culture

Many research findings about violence involving students against students can be found in the literature, but only a few studies have tested the frequency and causes of violence against schoolteachers. The present explorative study investigates the role of strain and school culture for the prediction of the victimisation of teachers. A representative sample of 399 Luxembourg secondary school teachers between the ages of 24 and 63 returned questionnaires concerning violence at school. The data relating to the frequency of violence showed that pupils’ violence directed against teachers seems to be more or less comparable between Luxembourg and German schools. Regression analyses indicated that victimisation of teachers could be predicted by class oriented strain, time pressure and quality of school environment. Implications for research and suggestions for school organisation are discussed.