When most people think about workplace violence, they picture hospitals, correctional facilities, or law enforcement settings. Few immediately think about elementary schools.
Classroom Conflict is Escalating
Social media has shown videos of middle school-aged children assaulting teachers or their staff over the confiscation of a Game Boy or other similar device. And as we saw several years ago, in the case of Abby Zwerner, an elementary student brought a weapon into school and shot Ms. Zwerner.
Student Violence Now a Workers’ Comp Issue
It has gotten to the point where national education organizations are sounding the alarm with respect to both frequency and severity of these events. I came across a recent video (Thank you, Gallagher Bassett) endorsing the notion that violence towards educators and staff members within these institutions is escalating. Several national surveys have identified significant increase in the rate of both physical violence and verbal abuse directed towards these employees. And unfortunately, many of these education professionals are describing that such violence is becoming normalized.
clinical picture Doesn’t always tell the whole story
All of those within our Workers’ Compensation ecosystem who address school district injuries must be aware of this growing problem.
No longer is it the “routine” work injury, such as an injury secondary to a slip and fall or lifting type of event. This growing problem, with respect to a violent student, can result in significant orthopedic injuries, head trauma, and potential issues with posttraumatic stress disorder (understanding that various jurisdictions address this issue quite differently). These types of claim files are no longer straightforward modest injuries.
When physical injury is only part of the claim
A violent encounter can produce a remarkable range of injuries. Some are obvious, such as fractures, shoulder injuries, cervical strains, and concussion. Others are more complicated. An employee may initially report a relatively minor physical injury but subsequently develop sleep disturbance, anxiety, or fear of returning to the classroom.
Underreporting aiding in claim complexity
The recent video I watched made a significant point that many educators are viewing this violence as “part of the job.” Additionally, there was a voiced concern that educators did not want to report this violence as it may interfere with the overall educational experience. A number of minor events were simply not documented. However, as the frequency and severity of this violence expands, these events are now increasingly reported as compensable injuries. If that claim file handler is seeing one of these types of events, the clinical presentation may be only the surface of the overall problem.
Recognizing Claim Complexity before it escalates
As noted throughout the Workers’ Compensation universe, the overall number of injuries is decreasing. And as I have discussed in prior blogs, it is not the number of cases that is the issue, it is the worsening severity of those cases that becomes more problematic.
The Changing Risk Profile for educators
I do understand that the education world is markedly different than it was when I was growing up. Students are larger on the whole than they were when I was in elementary school. Societal norms are markedly different, identifying the increasing behavioral complexity, numerous mental health crises are identified factors precipitating such events. Some suggest that violence has been normalized secondary to the videogame environment. Quite often we see groups of individuals and that mob mentality taking over what did not appear to be identified several decades ago. The takeaway is that a school employee injured by a student now faces risks that would normally have been associated with those involved in healthcare, law enforcement, or corrections type activities.
When Fewer Claims Require More Questions
What does this mean for the claim file handler? There is an increased reliance on specific questions to be resolved as early on in the claim file as possible. An exact explanation of what specifically occurred, if there were witnesses, was a formal incident report completed, was this the first time this individual was involved in student violence and are there any psychological issues being addressed by the injured individual. And this is only a partial list.
The Takeaway for Claims Professionals
In summary, it is clear that student violence is no longer solely an educational issue. These types of events have become a claim complexity issue. Those who enter this noble field at any level are facing an increased workplace safety issue, and this could lead to significant retention problems. With respect to the claim file professionals, one must recognize all of the tangential factors being faced by this particular class of injured employees. And as we all know, the complexity of the event is rarely identified with the first report of injury.
Clinical References
- National Education Association (NEA), Educator Safety Resources. [nea.org]
- American Psychological Association Task Force on Violence Against Educators and School Personnel. [apa.org], [apa.org]
- McMahon SD et al. Violence and Aggression Against Educators and School Personnel, Retention, Stress, and Training Needs: National Survey Results. American Psychologist, 2024.
