When Kids Speak Up: 40 Teachers Share Stories That Left Them Shocked

When we think about schools, most of the stories that reach us focus on the challenges students face — bullying, peer pressure, or the stress of exams. But there’s another side that doesn’t get as much attention: the experiences of teachers.

Every day, educators navigate classrooms filled with energy, curiosity, and sometimes frustration. Along with teaching, grading, and planning lessons, they also have to manage challenging behaviors, conflicts, and, in some cases, aggression from students. While research often highlights what students go through, teachers quietly face a unique set of pressures that can affect their safety, well-being, and job satisfaction.

For example, a 2018 article from Deutsche Welle highlighted some shocking statistics from Germany. In the five years since 2013, around a quarter of schools reported incidents of physical violence against teachers. The study by the Forsa polling institute also found that teachers in half of all schools had been verbally threatened or insulted.

While the study didn’t dig into the reasons behind these incidents, it clearly showed that aggression against educators is a widespread problem. Teachers aren’t just dealing with lesson plans; they’re navigating a daily landscape where verbal and even physical threats are a real possibility.

Similar patterns have been observed in other countries as well. A Finnish study surveying 215 school teachers found that 33% reported some form of verbal, nonverbal, or physical victimization by students. Meanwhile, a Swedish study of 1,230 teachers discovered that nearly one in three had experienced at least one incident of student-generated aggression within the previous 12 months. These numbers highlight a consistent trend: teacher victimization isn’t isolated to one country; it’s a global issue that spans classrooms and cultures. 

Across the Atlantic, Canada offers another striking example. In a study involving 2,072 teachers from grades 7 to 11 across 77 schools, researchers found that 40.6% of teachers had experienced victimization, which included threats, verbal harassment, or physical attacks. Even more striking, 73.3% reported student-to-teacher aggression of some kind. These findings underline how widespread and normalized aggression toward educators can be, and how it directly impacts teachers’ mental health, classroom dynamics, and the overall learning environment.

In the United States, patterns of aggression against teachers changed during the pandemic. As schools shifted online or closed temporarily, threats and violence against pre-K to 12th-grade educators dropped. However, when in-person learning resumed, incidents quickly rebounded, reaching levels equal to or even exceeding those before the pandemic. Research published by the American Psychological Association (APA) confirms that these post-pandemic surges in student aggression have significant implications for teacher well-being and school climate. Teachers returned to classrooms not only with lessons to teach but with renewed exposure to potential aggression.

The psychological impact of these trends is significant. The percentage of teachers reporting intentions to resign or transfer rose from 49% during the pandemic to 57% afterward. Susan Dvorak McMahon, PhD, of DePaul University and chair of the APA Task Force on Violence Against Educators and School Personnel, emphasizes: “Aggression and violence against educators and school personnel are major concerns that affect the well-being of school personnel and the students and families they serve. This study highlights a growing crisis in our schools that needs to be addressed nationally.” These numbers show that aggression isn’t just an isolated inconvenience; it’s driving educators out of the profession.

Often, teachers feel completely helpless in these situations. School policies prevent them from yelling at or physically restraining students, even when behaviors cross the line. They have to manage disruptive, aggressive, or threatening actions with words alone, often feeling frustrated and powerless. And when school authorities fail to take meaningful action, the situation becomes even more stressful. This lack of support can leave teachers feeling unsupported, undervalued, and at times, unsafe—making it harder to maintain order and provide quality education.