Student-to-teacher violation and the threat to a teacher's self

This paper is based on a study of fourteen Norwegian K-12 teachers who have been violated by students in schools. One key theme emerged during the process of analysis: the threat to the teachers' self. This threat appears to be intensified due to lack of support. The findings in this small-scale Norwegian study indicate that student-to-teacher violation can have a serious impact on teachers' perceptions of their individual and professional self. The findings disclose that the teachers' self is affected leading to changed, weakened and disrupted experience of teachers' self-understanding. This knowledge may influence how teachers can continue working when critical incidents occur.