Psychological well-being and resilience experiences of educators teaching in juvenile correctional facilities: a scoping review

Introduction Education is widely acknowledged as a cornerstone of rehabilitation for incarcerated youth. However, less attention has been paid to the specific realities faced by the educators who deliver it. These educators often operate under intense stress, experiencing burnout and emotional exhaustion while managing the complex and multifaceted needs of their students. This scoping review seeks to examine and synthesize psychological well-being and resilience experiences of educators working within juvenile correctional facilities. Methods Our methodology was informed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Relevant literature was sourced primarily from; ERIC, PsycINFO, Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text, Academic Search Complete, JSTOR, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science. The studies span an unspecified publication period and a systematic process guided the identification, selection, data extraction, and synthesis of findings. Results This review examined a total of eight studies, comprising of seven empirical investigations and one conceptual paper. Notably, six out of the seven empirical studies were undertaken within the United States context. Four themes emerged from this review; challenges of teaching in correctional settings, psychological wellbeing, coping mechanisms, and resilience. Discussion Educators in juvenile correctional settings work in environments fraught with numerous and complex challenges which adversely affect their psychological wellbeing. Despite these adversities, many educators demonstrated notable resilience cultivated through personal and social resources. Future studies should be conducted in low and middle income countries to better understand global variations and support systems.