The impact of offending students’ apologies and perceived sincerity on the physical and emotional distress of victimized teachers

Extant empirical research indicates that teacher victimization is highly prevalent and has detrimental impacts for victimized teachers. Although existing empirical studies have provided valuable information and insights into the prevalence and negative consequences of teacher victimization, to the best of our knowledge, there is no empirical research investigating the impact of apologies from offending students and the perceived sincerity of those apologies by victimized teachers on the emotional and physical distress experienced by the victims. The current research, using a sample of middle and high school teachers among 50 of the largest US school districts, is the first attempt to address the limitation. Overall, the present research found that teachers subjected to various types of aggression from students often endure elevated levels of emotional and physical distress, indicating the urgent need for effective intervention and measures to alleviate the distress experienced by victimized teachers. The results imply that sincere apologies from offending students and holding them accountable through appropriate punishment can play pivotal roles in alleviating the distress endured by victimized teachers at school.