i‘m in europe, so totally different setting, but i do teach special needs with a focus on behavioral challenges. i have been hit by students more often than i can count. my reaction is different depending on who/why/the situation it happened in. i have a student with autism who is overloaded quickly, can‘t communicate well and does not have the mental capacity or foresight to see consequences. him hitting is not an attack (although it sure feels like it in the moment) but a sign of him being overwhelmed. my best course of action is a step back, cooldown and reset. him hitting me is „on me“ in my mind and with me knowing him (and his limits) better, the hitting has gotten way less frequent. i see it coming from a mile away now.

other students do have the mental capacities to understand that their actions might cause me harm and that that is not acceptable. if they hit (which happens way less often thankfully) i immediately send them from my classroom and call parents for pickup, sometimes just for the day, sometimes with a suspension. more often than not, these kids don‘t hit me though. they‘ll scream, threaten, throw chairs but they know exactly where the do-not-cross-line is and tiptoe right along it. and i won‘t admit it to them, but i‘m proud because they show restraint and a bit of humanity even in their rage. our school has a good relationship with our local police, so we do always have the option to call then and they‘ll come and scare students straight, but i have never personally felt i needed that.

i extend trust, give second chances, reflect with them but also reflect my behaviour too. i document everything thoroughly. and i‘m im therapy to make my peace with the fact that i can not reach all of my students. most „hitters“ who come into my sphere of influence leave it with less of a short fuse and more inhibition. some don‘t, which i struggle with sometimes.