1 in 5 teachers hit by a pupil

Yep, I think support staff get it the worst. When I was a TA I had a hardcover book thrown at my head by 2 different pupils.

Violent incidents are extremely rare at my school, despite us having a large ND population and many children who have experienced trauma. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, there is a high level of support and reasonable adjustments in place for children who need it so they don't become overwhelmed to the point of lashing out. Secondly, because violence is simply not tolerated. Any violence towards a member of staff means a Fixed Term Exclusion, threats of violence result in an internal exclusion (escalating to FTE if the offence is repeated) and children hurting other children is treated equally seriously. LT simply do not accept that being assaulted or verbally abused is part and parcel of working in Education. Any parents who think it should be (there are some unfortunately) are told very clearly that our stance is not going to change so if they don't support it other schools are available. There are too many schools where LT are willing to throw staff under the bus to avoid pushback from parents IME. There are also too many schools who don't create a safe and inclusive environment for SEND children and then wonder why their behaviour is so challenging.

1/5 seems high, but it's even worse when you consider this doesn't include other staff within the school and other pupils.

Kinda sounds like you were just badly behaved and are still salty about it 30 years later because your teacher reprimanded you.

I'd like to know why the behaviour is so bad. My DD comes home with stories of horrific behaviour at school and is genuinely scared to go in some days.

I'm really offended by people saying that children with additional needs that can be violent are because there parents can not be bothered!
I have 3 children with sen and out of all them the youngest is the only one who is violent.
He has ASD and ADHD there is no medication for him at the momment due to the shortage.
We are just as desperate as the teachers (who I will say are absolutely amazing and do there best under extreme pressure).
We get hurt on a daily basis and unfortunately school is a massive trigger for him.
He is bad enough for a 1 to 1 but not for specialist.
I do realise that there are parents who will not parent but in most cases they really do try but unfortunately you get a diagnosis for your child and then left to deal with it without the tools to do so!

It's so disturbing that you're not the only teacher here who's been assaulted while pregnant. You think these punks would ever try that with a male teacher?!

You never witnessed verbal abuse by a teacher?

Nope. Raised voices were often necessary but there was no abuse. Nothing said that was offensive.

There was one teacher, not mine, I was scared of as a child in my first years of primary because she looked so stern and had a firm manner but evidently she wasn’t as bad as she looked because my best friend, who was in her class, loved her.

Of course, teachers never overstep the mark. They are always the victim despite them being the adult and the children being in their care.

'verbal abuse' is a very uncharitable rephrasing of a teacher doing their job.

One of the biggest problems is British 'parenting'. I teach in an international private school and none of the kids here would DREAM of assaulting one of their teachers, or even raising their voice at one.

Our parenting culture is rotten to the core.

You never witnessed verbal abuse by a teacher?

I don’t think you can read. Seems teachers let you down.

I have little sympathy for teachers. Growing up in the 80s and 90s they couldn’t hit us, but they did abuse us.

As someone who attended school from the late ‘80s to the early 2000s I don’t recognise this at all. Obviously there were some abusive teachers around as there still are now but I attended 3 schools and I didn’t even encounter one teacher who behaved in such a manner. Even the few that I wasn’t very fond of didn’t behave like this.

>I had a bad teacher so all teachers are bad, abusive, violent alcoholics and the mass exodus is their own fault

My, my.

I have little sympathy for teachers. Growing up in the 80s and 90s they couldn’t hit us, but they did abuse us.

screaming fits, wooden dusters being thrown around etc, over absolutely nothing. A lot of them were chronic alcoholics with bad personal hygiene and they expected respect no matter how they behaved. And they would play the victim whenever anyone stood up to them.

not all of them, but a solid 50%. The good 50% turned a blind eye but I don’t think they had much choice.

im sure it is different now and I have 2 kids at primary who thankfully behave well so we don’t have any issues. But….I have been in the position to overhear and see certain things that are eyebrow raising to say the least. The way some of them behave and speak to kids when they think nobody is watching can still be something to behold.

there is clearly a problem but one aspect of the problem that is never explored is that of poor teachers and bad leadership. Every other aspect is fair game, but not this, for some reason.

This is why I wholeheartedly support permanent exclusions at the drop of a hat. If kids think it's okay to hurt teachers, they will go on to hurt others like shop employees, receptionists, police etc.

Yes, your kids are violent and insubordinate!

This is why I started teaching in a private school. I will NEVER look back.

What support is that?

What WILL happen when these kids are adults who have had people tiptoeing around them their entire lives?

Well mine are only just adults but actually both are doing OK at university thank you. The thing is IF appropriate support is put in place then a violent child does not become a violent adult. The problem is that as hard as it was to get that support in place ten years ago it is harder now.

I've been a teacher for 11 years, I was a TA previously and since starting working in education I've been bitten (loads!), spat on, hit, scratched, had a bone fracture in my foot, had a drum stick launched at my head, had chairs chucked, tables tipped, swore at, kicked and threatened. I moved school in September and the violence is still there but I have a very supportive, present SLT who do get involved, support all staff and exclude violent children if needed.

I have a stupid question, at what point do schools think it’s appropriate to involve the police. I’m assuming if a teacher was stabbed? But anything else? When can a teacher press chargers vs “it’s part of the job rubbish”

I work in what many would consider a lovely school, but the behaviour is horrendous. I often wonder what would happen if a parent could be a fly on the wall and see what happens their child's class. I honestly think many would decide to remove them from school.

Quite! I left over a year ago but we often used to say this too. Also, it would be interesting what the parents thought of their child's behaviour and whether they'd still defend them to the hilt and complain to the school for putting sanctions in place!