Teacher Violence and Student Wellbeing in Rural Sierra Leone: Longitudinal Dynamics Across Primary Schooling

Abstract

This study explored the longitudinal dynamics of teacher violence and student wellbeing in rural Sierra Leone, West Africa. The participants, totaling 3170 children with an age range of 5 years to 11 years, were cluster-sampled from a large geographic area to ensure gender balance and representation from diverse linguistic backgrounds and religious affiliations. They were drawn from the Safe Learning Study, which spanned over 5 years and involved 100 schools in rural Sierra Leone. Data collection took place in four waves from November 2018 to May 2021. Participants completed self-report questionnaires pertaining to psychological wellbeing and experiences of violence from teachers. The study employed a random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RICLPM) to examine the relationship between violence and mental health across waves. Across children, a relationship between teacher violence and student wellbeing was observed over time. However, for individual children, higher wellbeing predicted lower instances of violence, and vice versa, although to a weak extent. These findings highlight the complex interplay between violence and wellbeing within the cultural sample. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the social dynamics surrounding violence and wellbeing, informing targeted interventions and policy initiatives aimed at creating safer and healthier environments for at-risk populations.

Keywords

• violence
• students
• teachers
• wellbeing
• Sierra Leone