Students’ and teachers’ sense of (un)safety in schools: a scoping review of international research data

Although school safety is widely addressed in international education reports, it is often framed primarily through visible indicators such as bullying, violence, and school climate. Less attention has been paid to how psychological unsafety emerges across both student and teacher experiences, particularly through relational, emotional, and organisational pressures such as exclusion, excessive workload, stress, and limited professional recognition. To address this gap, this study explores the multifaceted phenomenon of the sense of (un)safety of students and teachers in schools through a scoping review of English-language peer-reviewed studies drawing on international large-scale assessment data from PISA, TALIS and HBSC. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, systematic searches in Scopus and Web of Science identified 48 relevant studies published from 2018 onward. The data were thematically analysed following the Braun and Clarke framework to identify the main factors influencing perceived safety in school environments. The findings reveal two primary domains: bullying and violence and the broader dimension of the school microclimate. Students’ sense of unsafety is associated with peer aggression, social isolation, and competitive school environments, while teachers’ experiences of feeling unsafe are due to excessive workload, emotional stress, and limited professional recognition. A supportive, collaborative, and participatory school climate consistently correlates with higher well-being and academic outcomes. The review emphasizes the need for evidence-based systemic measures that integrate emotional education, professional development, and policy-level interventions. Strengthening emotional safety and fostering inclusive and respectful school cultures are critical to improving both learning and teaching quality.