Moral Injury Among Professionals in K–12 Education

• In Event: Using What You Know: Ethics, Morals, and Social Responsibility in the Classroom

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a cross-sectional correlational study of moral injury among K-12 educators in an urban school district in the Midwest. Moral injury refers to the lasting psychological and existential harm that occurs when an individual perpetrates or witnesses acts that violate deeply held moral beliefs. Moral injury is relevant to the public education context due to the morally-complex and high-stakes natures of the settings in which educators work and the ethically-challenging actions they are often required to take. Initial results demonstrate that educators exhibit levels of moral injury similar to those experienced by military veterans and child protective services professionals. Identifying and addressing sources of moral injury is critical for a just and moral education system.

Author

• Erin Sugrue, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities