title: Teachers' challenges, strategies, and support needs in schools affected by community violence: a qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Exposure to community violence compromises teacher effectiveness, student learning, and socioemotional well-being. This study examined the challenges, strategies, and support needs of teachers in urban schools affected by high levels of community violence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty teachers from 3 urban middle schools with predominantly low-income African American students completed open-ended interviews. Selected schools were in geographic areas with high violent crime levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Consistent with an ecological risk and resilience framework, findings revealed that teachers experienced challenges and adopted coping strategies at the individual, family, school, and community levels. Teachers employed a number of strategies associated with resilience, such as prayer and seeking support from family and colleagues, but also engaged in some avoidant strategies, such as emotional withdrawal and avoiding difficult students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest interventions to improve school safety and reduce the negative impact of violence-related stressors. Teacher training in behavior management, effective school leadership, improved school security, peer mediation, expanded mental health services, and parent involvement may promote resilience among both teachers and their students.
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland School of Public Health, 1142 School of Public Health, College Park, MD 20742, USA. efmaring@umd.edu
authors.forename: Elisabeth F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Maring
authors.forename: Sally A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Koblinsky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D003142:Communication; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012067:Religion; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012309:Risk-Taking; D017751:Safety Management; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012944:Social Support; D014505:Urban Population; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*