School safety concerns and solutions: A qualitative analysis of U.S. school psychologists’ perspectives

• In Event: The Perils of Educating: A National Sample of School Personnel Perceptions of School Violence

Abstract

School safety research has largely focused on the experiences of students and less is known about it from school staff perspectives (Cornell et al., 2020). The present study analyzed qualitative responses from a national sample of school psychologists reporting on school safety concerns and potential solutions within U.S. schools. By examining these views through a socio-ecological lens, we sought to gain a comprehensive understanding of the complex factors influencing school safety. Our objectives included identifying prevalent safety issues and uncovering potential strategies to enhance school safety from the unique perspective of school psychologists. The socio-ecological framework provided a valuable theoretical foundation for this research (Benbenishty & Astor, 2005). This perspective acknowledges that school safety concerns and solutions are influenced by multiple, interacting factors at various levels (Capp et al., 2020). By employing this framework, we were able to contextualize school psychologists' responses within the broader ecosystem of school safety, recognizing the interconnected nature of the challenges and solutions they identified.

The primary data source for this study comes from a national sample of U.S. school psychologists (n=538) during Spring 2021. The data was collected as part of a larger initiative by the American Psychological Association Task Force on Violence against Educators and School Personnel. Participants represented a diverse range of demographics, school settings, and geographical locations. Their qualitative responses to two key questions formed the core of our research questions and inductive coding analysis: 1) What are your primary safety concerns in your school(s)? and 2) What solutions would you propose to address these safety concerns? This primary evidence from practitioners in the field provided valuable insights into the realities of school safety issues and potential interventions.We analyzed qualitative responses from 538 school psychologists. The sample was stratified by role, region, urbanicity, and school level. Data analysis was conducted by a team of psychology and social work research assistants using a rigorous multi-step inductive coding process. This involved initial inductive coding of a 10% sample, development and testing of a comprehensive codebook, codebook training, and subsequent deductive coding of the full dataset by pairs of researchers. Inter-coder reliability was maintained at 80-90% agreement, with discrepancies resolved through consensus. The team of researchers then identified response patterns and collaboratively synthesized these into key themes, providing a thorough examination of school psychologists' perspectives on school safety concerns and interventions.

Our analysis revealed three primary themes in school psychologists' safety concerns: aggressive behaviors from students and families, mental and behavioral health needs, and staffing concerns. Over 10% of respondents highlighted issues such as student aggression, mental health challenges, and inadequate staffing or training. Between 5-10% of participants also mentioned concerns related to parent/family interactions, community factors, and professional burnout. Regarding solutions, school psychologists emphasized the importance of improving school-family-community climate, enhancing general training, implementing threat assessment protocols, and addressing mental health needs. These findings underscore the multifaceted and interconnected nature of school safety issues nested within a social ecology and the need for comprehensive, systemic approaches to address them effectively.

Authors

• Luz Robinson, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Dorothy L. Espelage, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill