More than half (57 per cent) of staff in state schools have faced aggression from a student in the last year, and over a quarter have experienced it from a student’s parents or carers, according to a joint survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) and ITV regional news.
The research, published on 1 September, found that almost half (45 per cent) said the aggression from students took the form of physical violence; meanwhile 84 per cent said they had been verbally insulted and 70 per cent said they had been intimidated or threatened.
Dealing with students’ aggression has caused 60 per cent of staff who have experienced it to feel a loss of confidence in their work, over a third (34 per cent) to have mental health issues, such as stress, anxiety or depression, and a third (33 per cent) to refuse to teach the pupil concerned.
The survey, which gathered the views of 1,560 education staff in UK state schools, also found that 40 per cent of respondents had considered leaving the profession because of the poor behaviour of students.
On a more positive note, of those who have experienced and reported an incident of a student being aggressive towards them, 37 per cent said they were totally happy with the way their school or college dealt with the matter and almost half reported that their school or college has risk assessments in place for particular students.
Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of ATL, said: “It is shocking that almost 60 per cent of education staff have faced aggression from a student in the last year. No member of staff should be subjected to aggressive behaviour, in any form, while doing their job.
“Sadly, although the vast majority of students are well-behaved and a pleasure to teach, poor behaviour is now a daily reality for most staff. Many students have chaotic home lives that would cause most adults to lose their temper occasionally.
“As well as having to be experts in their own subject, teachers also need to be psychologists and behavioural experts. Schools need to have firm and consistent discipline policies and work with parents to keep schools and colleges safe places for students and staff alike.”
Palmers can provide expert advice to schools in drafting or strengthening discipline and exclusion policies, to help ensure a safe working environment for staff and pupils. For more information on written policies, please contact Lara Murray or for representation of schools or parents in disciplinary or exclusion hearings, please contact Andrew Skinner.
We can also assist schools in supporting staff affected by stress, anxiety or depression and in managing sickness absence effectively. For more information, please contact Lara Murray.