Mapping Teacher Victimization and Support Networks: Cross-Country Comparison of China, Morocco, Türkiye, and U.S.

• In Event: Roles of School Climate, Identity, and Support in Response to Teacher-Targeted Violence: A Global Perspective

Abstract

Background: Teacher victimization (TV), aggressive behaviors teachers face primarily from students (Yang et al., 2019), is a prevalent global issue, with high rates documented in countries including Canada, China, South Korea, the U.S., and Australia (Moon & McCluskey, 2016; Stevenson et al., 2022; Wilson et al., 2011; Yang et al., 2019). TV significantly impacts teachers’ mental health, commitment, and retention (Moon & McCluskey, 2016; McMahon et al., 2024b), emphasizing the critical need for effective teacher support systems. However, previous research on TV has largely been limited to single-country contexts, offering minimal insight into how victimization and associated support structures might vary cross-culturally. Building upon Rho and Yang (2025)’s recent introduction of egocentric network analysis to examine TV, this study addresses this critical gap by extending to a comparative and cross-national lens of TV and related support networks.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is threefold: (1) to examine TV prevalence rates using a network lens across four countries–China, Morocco, Türkiye, and the U.S.; (2) to examine the centrality of aggressive and supportive alters within K-12 teachers’ social networks in these contexts; and (3) to investigate cross-national differences in TV experiences and the corresponding support network structures.
Theoretical Background: Guided by the social-ecological model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), this study emphasizes the importance of adopting a cross-national lens to understand TV within diverse cultural contexts. Additionally, social capital theory (Bourdieu, 1986; Coleman, 1988) informs the need to investigate teachers’ support networks as protective resources against victimization.
Method: Participants include K-12 teachers from four countries. Data collection from the U.S. and China was completed in 2024, resulting in a total of 504 and 455 teachers, respectively. Data collection in Morocco and Türkiye is currently underway and anticipated to be completed by Fall 2025, enabling a comprehensive analysis across all four countries. Teachers’ networks will be analyzed using Freeman’s (1979) degree of centrality measure. Cross-national comparisons will be conducted using ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD post-hoc tests.
Preliminary Results: The initial analyses were conducted for China and the U.S. 65.49% of Chinese teachers reported experiencing victimization, compared to 77.98% in the U.S. The degree centrality of challenging students was significantly higher for U.S. teachers (2.65) than for Chinese teachers (2.27). Similarly, social support networks were significantly larger for U.S. teachers (2.89) compared to their Chinese counterparts (2.44). However, no significant difference was found in professional support networks between China (1.85) and the U.S. (2.02).
Significance: This study contributes to an enhanced understanding of cross-national variations in TV and support network structures within K-12 education. By adopting a comparative network analysis approach across diverse cultural contexts, it highlights culturally specific patterns and insights into victimization experiences. These findings offer valuable implications for developing culturally responsive policies and targeted interventions aimed at effectively reducing TV and strengthening support networks for teachers globally.

Authors

• Chunyan Yang, University of Maryland

• Ella Rho, University of Maryland

• Chun Chen, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Adil Bentahar, University of Delaware

• Ozge Hacifazlioglu, University of California - Berkeley

• BILGE KALKAVAN, Hasan Kalyoncu University

• Sinan Hopcan

• Elif Polat, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa