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Special educators (teachers, service providers, and paraprofessionals) work with students who have a wide array of disabilities and needs. Some students have disabilities that cause them to engage in physically aggressive behaviors. National Public Radio (NPR) recently reported that nationwide staff shortages in special education have exacerbated the challenges faced by special educators in staying safe when working with aggressive students.
The NPR article described a tragic incident in a Texas public school in which a high school student with cognitive disabilities pushed a paraprofessional, who hit his head when he fell and died from a brain bleed. NPR reported that according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most students with developmental disabilities are not more aggressive than their typical peers; however, some students have disabilities that result in aggressive behaviors. A DePaul University researcher concluded that–not surprisingly–special educators experience violence or aggression from students more often than do general educators. In fact, a 2014 study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health determined that special educators are three times more at risk of physical assault by students than are general educators.
These realities make hiring special educators challenging. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts nationwide have had difficulties hiring enough special education staff. In October 2024, the National Center for Education Statistics published survey results that indicated that special education vacancies are the most difficult staff vacancies for schools to fill.
A teacher interviewed by NPR revealed that they loved their students, and at the same time needed to keep themselves, their classroom staff, and all students safe. Managing a student successfully required a combination of staff receiving regular training in prevention, de-escalation, and safety techniques; development of a robust behavior plan; IEP accommodations that supported the student’s self-calming strategies; creation of a predictable environment; and a well-trained one-to-one paraprofessional who knew his triggers well. In the current climate of staff shortages, implementing IEPs with appropriate supports and services for aggressive students can be especially difficult, but doing so is essential to minimizing violent behavior. Additionally, schools should prioritize the training of special educators and administrators that teaches them how to prevent violent behavior, how to de-escalate it, and how to stay safe.
Special educators [are] nearly three times as likely as general educators to be physically assaulted by students. That can make it harder for school districts to hire special education staff, at a time when schools across the country are struggling to fill these positions.