Study shows escalating prevalence of psychological harm inflicted on students.
Incidents of psychological abuse among students, like verbal attacks and bullying, seem to have surged post-COVID-19. Over half (56%) of educators in general education schools, as per a survey by the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) in Cologne, shared this viewpoint. Moreover, 44% of these educators reported an escalation in physical abuse.
The DGUV reported a rise in reported student violence incidents, amounting to approximately 11,000 more incidents in 2023 compared to the previous year, reaching 64,897. However, this count still fell short of pre-pandemic numbers in 2019 (72,973). In 2022, the violent incident rate was 7.5 per 1,000 insured individuals, which marked a significant increase compared to pandemic years (2020: 4.6, 2021: 3.9, 2022: 6.4) yet remained below pre-pandemic levels (2019: 8.8). Frequent serious injuries such as fractures stemming from violent incidents were scarcely reported, as per statistics.
While the trend of decreasing violent accident numbers persisted, DGUV CEO Stewart Hussy cautioned, "This doesn't mean everything is under control." The accident statistics only offer a partial picture of school violence, as they fail to account for psychological abuse and its effects. To acquire a full understanding of the situation in general education schools post-pandemic, the DGUV surveyed educators, who play a pivotal role in safeguarding children and adolescents' well-being within educational settings. The findings suggested that "we still have a long way to go in striving for a violence-free school environment."
DGUV serves as an umbrella organization for professional associations and accident insurance funds. Student attendance and commute to school are covered by mandatory accident insurance, and typically, this coverage extends to violent incidents as well.
The survey by DGUV revealed that over half of educators believe psychological abuse among students has increased post-COVID-19. Despite a rise in reported violent incidents, the DGUV survey aimed to gain a comprehensive understanding of school violence, focusing on psychological abuse.
