Associations between Teacher- and Student-directed Sexual and Physical Violence in Physical Education

Abstract

This study examined relationships between teachers' perceptions of verbal and non-verbal sexual harassment and physical violence against teachers and among students in physical education (PE). Participants were 175 (females 122, males 53) Finnish PE teachers between 27 and 62 years (M = 44.8 ± 9.2 years). The cross-sectional data were collected by an anonymous online survey in the fall semester 2018. The findings showed that (a) higher levels of verbal sexual harassment and physical violence among students were associated with higher levels of equivalent types of violence against PE teachers, (b) higher levels of verbal and non-verbal sexual harassment among students were associated with higher levels of physical assaults among students, whereas only non-verbal sexual harassment was associated with physical violence against teachers, and (c) verbal sexual harassment and physical violence among students occurred more frequently in PE classes instructed by less experienced teachers. The results indicated that to prevent both teacher- and student-directed verbal sexual harassment and physical violence in school PE, special attention could be given to the positive development of student-student relationships.

Keywords: harassment; interpersonal; non-verbal; school; verbal; victimization.

Figure 1.. The theorized model including covariables, verbal sexual harassment, non-verbal sexual harassment, and physical violence against teachers and among students in PE classes (y1–y13 = observed variables). For the sake of clarity, associations between verbal, non-verbal sexual harassment, and physical violence are not illustrated.

Figure 2.. Standardized results of path analysis for verbal sexual harassment, non-verbal sexual harassment, and physical violence against teachers and among students in PE classes (y1–y13 = observed variables). All paths are significant at p < .05 level.