Purpose Violence in schools constitutes a critical development challenge in many Asian education systems, with potential long-term implications for human capital formation and social development. This study examines teachers' verbal violence as a structural risk factor affecting student behavior in Indonesian primary education. Design/methodology/approach Using a quantitative correlational design, data were collected from 1,267 primary school students. Teachers' verbal violence was measured using the Korean Verbal Abuse Questionnaire (K-VAQ), while student misbehavior was assessed through the Misbehavior Scale developed by Bru et al. (2002). Findings The most prevalent forms of verbal violence include scolding students publicly, raising voices during admonishment, and labeling students as unintelligent or indecent. Regression analysis indicates that teachers' verbal violence significantly predicts student misbehavior (β = 0.81, p 0.001), suggesting that harmful disciplinary communication may undermine classroom climate and student engagement. Practical implications The findings underscore the need for policy-driven interventions, including teacher professional development, communication training, and systemic school climate reforms, to support safe and inclusive learning environments aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. Originality/value This study provides a novel contribution by examining the direct correlation between teachers' verbal violence and student misbehavior in Indonesian primary schools. This area remains underexplored in the local context. This research integrates both perspectives while accounting for key demographic factors, including sex, school status, and school area.
Yusri et al. (Mon,) studied this question.