How many teachers have been attacked / threatened by students?

[feelingunsupported]

I've been thinking about this a lot over the last few days in light of the sentencing for the murder of Mrs Maguire. I've namechanged for obvious reasons but am a regular - Reasties xmas threads mainly

In my small school this year so far

• teacher's arm jammed in a door. Student made to write a note of apology

-male staff member had to deflect a punch from student. Staff member interviewed by manager for use of force. No comeback on student -student threatened to nut a teacher. Approached teacher looking like he was going to do it. Student suspended for 2 days then back into class -teachers told to fuck off / called cunts etc regularly

Oh well that's ok then!

Last post was in response to lamrandom

No it's not ok for anyone at work to be or be fearful of assault. I'm pointing out that this is not unique to teaching and therefore there is a wider issue within society not just with young people. Sorty for having the audacity to think beyond a single profession!!

It is true Iam I got called a cunt when I was working in a high street opticians.

No one said it was unique to teaching but being assaulted by children under the age if 18 is much more likely in a school setting, that's what's under discussion here.

That's exactly what I mean pipbin. It's easy to take an awful incident and then focus on it solely so missing the wider point. So asing 'what is the problem in schools, why are teachers so at risk?' instead of 'why are people wno work in certain jobs more at risk of assault and what can be done about this?'

Iamrandom, a lot of the teachers on here have said that their managers minimise the problem or actively blame and rebuke them if they are attacked. Do management in the NHS show a similar lack of support to their staff?

Fine crumplehornedsnorkack, will leave you to an insular discussion focusing on teaching and allow you to ignore any wider issues. Perhaps in future a warning can be placed on the education board that there is no interest in exploring broader issues around topics raised within education.

This is a horrible thread, I'm in shock for many of you. I cannot believe the lack of support to those being assaulted, physically or verbally. I've worked in prisons before and although assaults did happen, they were rare and punished effectively. I cannot believe schools sound like less safe places to work.

There is a lot of policy and procedure but realistically there is a culture of 'it's part of the job, get on with it' within the nhs. I guess it may be similar in teaching Mrscakesprecognition

Ok I can see I was on the defensive but on MN so many threads about teachers get detailed with the whole "but such and such have it worse" usually in relation to working hours etc.

It is a bigger problem definitely, within education there needs to be a much stronger direction from the top, is that the same in the NHS do you think?

Also it's a bit tricky where patients are less lucid and may be aggressive as part of their medical status. Then you do sort of feel that it's part of the job and you should just get on with it.

You see posters up in Dr surgeries, pharmacies and hospitals telling patients to behave though?!

Thanks for rethinking crumplehornedsnorkack. It wasn't a competitive post, more a this is a far reaching problem. I think you're right, there does need to be strong direction from the top but also somehow we all need to shift the culture away from accepting assault as something that's normal and just to be 'got on with'. I don't know how that happens though. It's difficult to not treat patients who assault staff as they have a need and I guess similar in education that it's difficult to exclude pupils who need an education. It's not quite the same as barring someone Ron a pub for example.

I was on phone early so posted quick.

My experience of being assaulted was definitely not unique for the school. It had nothing to do with ME as a teacher. Teachers and staff of all ages, tbh genders, all backgrounds were pushed (accidently?!) sworn at, verbally assaulted, and physically assaulted.

I have to say though that this happened at one of the secondaries I worked at. The other school I worked at beforehand did not have these issues and SMT were much stronger and would very much have dealt with them better ime.

My assault was the beginning of the end for my teaching career. I did return after mat leave but PT and things were getting worse and worse. Within a couple of years I had left teaching entirely - I went to work as a high cat male prison - it was a much more pleasant teaching experience would you believe?!

I do now work in schools again - but earning far less as a HLTA. Its an infant school and the behaviour is much better.

Its really important for everyone to remember that - these kind of assaults are not the fault of the teacher/TA. No matter what your SMT may say or how much they try to minimise it.

And yes, staff in other professions may well get the same. It doesn't make it right or something we should ignore. This thread was started specifically about teaching - and the fact that these are adults being assaulted by children. It doesn't mean teaching staff only think it ever happens to them.

That said, when I was called a cunt in a high street opticians I could get security to remove the customer and ensure that he never came back. Not so with teaching.

Maybe schools need those big posters up reminding people teachers should be allowed to work without buse too - if nothing else, to remind parents. This significant minority of children doing the assaults would probably ignore it or rip it down though.

Yes I think that could be a big part of the issue. That in some areas of work, eg shops, bars,etc, there can be a low threshold for removing/banning someone however in areas such as schools, healthcare, etc this becomes more difficult.

To those that are saying that prisons are safer places to work than schools - well, yes - of course they are.

It often used to strike me during the course of my teaching career that every prisoner has made umpteen teachers' lives a misery before he (usually he) eventually tips up in prison.

I'm glad this thread hasn't been significantly derailed by the usual 'oh, other professions have it too/worse' crowd.

Attacks on e.g. HCPs are equally reprehensible, but at least there is more public awareness of the problem/acknowledgement that doctors and nurses don't 'bring it on themselves', which seems to be the prevailing view where teachers are concerned. Not only that, most patient interactions are relatively short-term. If you have a student who hates you, you're stuck with him/her for years. Ann Maguire's killer had been making explicit threats to kill her for what - three years? Not many members of other professions have to put up with that sustained harassment.

There is a lot more support and back up in the prisons too. I had a panic alarm and a whistle on me at all times - I did a lot of 1:1 work, so was locked in a room just me and the prisoner. But there are also guards close by generally.

And if anything does happen it is dealt with. and it goes on report - which can affect recat to a less secure prison, tag dates, parole, etc. And it doesn't have to be something huge like an actual physical assault.

I was on the receiving end of some sexual language comments - nothing particularly abusive, but it was definitely inappropriate, coarse and said because I was a woman. I suspect the man involved believed it was a compliment However, it was reported - it has to be. And it is done formally, with a written statement. This then goes to those above and a case is brought - it almost like a mini court where you have to give an official statement, as does the prisoner (at a different time) and any witnesses. It can then result in loss of privleges, etc and as said above there are other consequences too

It is a teaching issue though! As others have said, there are no signs up in school warning people that assaults on staff will be taken seriously.
And there is an 'ostrich' attitude taken by SLT, (because of the onerous rules about exclusions) and a victim-blaming from elsewhere, this is insidious (have seen regularly other teachers talking about those who 'cannot hack it').
I saw horrific incidents in my training year, in schools in a 'leafy London suburb' that people on MN regularly brag about.
That is why I am now a supply teacher, and only go back to those schools that have a robust behaviour policy, good escalations (including panic buttons and police on site), and an SLT with integrity.
And, btw, many schools that are outstanding do actually have a police office permanently on site - 'real police office, not PCO. Parents may not be aware of this - it is not mentioned on the websites.

Kicked very hard deliberately on the shins, sworn at, called a F C by child who was then backed up his dad ("you were annoying him"... Er, no I was asking him not to throw any more chairs), chairs thrown at me, office trashed, drunk parent threatening to smash my f** face in. Bitten several times by young children (infant age). Had hair pulled by very distressed child having a tantrum.

Mother who brought carving knife to school to attack another mother, father who (after I had excluded his son for violence to another teacher), brought his solicitors to the Governors' review, governors thoroughly intimidated and had to be persuaded to back my exclusion.

DH in the end gave me a kind of ultimatum (in a nice way), couldn't believe with the stuff I had to put up with. Left teaching. Wouldn't go back for 10 million quid.

Very sad, cos I bloody loved it in lots of ways, and (tho I say so myself) I was bloody good at it too.

Yes-that's the difference, I think. There are opportunities for violence or abuse in all areas, but you wouldn't assume it was because the doctor, nurse, shop assistant or pharmacist was crap and not doing their job properly.

In teaching, the assumption is you are at fault.