A recent analysis at University Hospital Freiburg and several nationwide surveys point to considerable strain among many teachers in Germany. According to the researchers, teachers regularly report being insulted by pupils and facing serious accusations from parents. These conflicts are closely associated with increased psychological stress, they say. The Freiburg analysis is based on a non-representative survey in Baden-Württemberg and explicitly presents the findings as an indication of levels of strain, not as a comprehensive picture of all schools.
Nationwide data supports this trend. The 2026 German School Barometer from the Robert Bosch Stiftung identifies challenging pupil behaviour as one of the greatest occupational pressures. The German Social Accident Insurance also points to an increase in reports of insults, threats and other forms of psychological violence in schools. Regional police statistics likewise show rises in such incidents, although definitions and reporting procedures are not consistent everywhere. Experts warn of the consequences: increasing symptoms of exhaustion can lead to longer absences and affect the quality of teaching.
In the short term, experts recommend accessible support such as coaching, supervision and training. University Hospital Freiburg points to its own teacher coaching programme, in which participants’ stress levels were reduced with accompanying support. However, such programmes do not replace structural changes, education researchers emphasise.
Medium- to long-term measures include clear procedures for escalation cases, mandatory information on rights and responsibilities, closer support from School leadership and preventive de-escalation programmes. Responsibilities vary between federal states, and the responses of school authorities and public agencies have so far been correspondingly inconsistent. Trade unions and associations are therefore calling for state-wide standards that give schools confidence in handling conflicts and secure resources for prevention and advice.
There is no dispute that verbal abuse is perceived as more common in many schools, and teachers describe it as a significant additional burden. Open questions concern the comparability of the data and the effectiveness of individual measures. There is agreement that protecting teachers’ health requires a combination of individual support and dependable structures – both within schools and at education administration level.
Editor: Clara Simonichek (Article created with AI assistance).