Dealing With Violence at School

A survey of more than 4,700 NASUWT members in 2021 suggests that 38% have been subjected to verbal abuse from students in past year.

Over the last few months, IOSH (the Institute of Health and Safety) and NASUWT have highlighted an increase in violence and extreme behaviour in the workplace, including UK schools. Speakers at the NASUWT union’s 2021 conference, revealed that many teachers are ‘struggling alone’ with extreme behaviour in the classroom. Shockingly, teachers are being subjected to “derogatory sexualised” terms, as well as violence and threats by pupils in the classroom. This is as well as a “deterioration” in pupil behaviour over recent years, with many staff “struggling alone” with extreme cases in the classroom. A motion passed at the conference condemned schools and colleges who claim that “unacceptable” pupil behaviour is just “part of the job”.

IOSH report

In a report published in the November/December issue of the IOSH magazine, they found that workplace violence is typically a greater risk in public-facing sectors and is rising in many areas. While 1.4% of working adults in the UK experience one or more violent incidents at work annually, the highest risk is in protective service professions such as policing, where 8.4% are assaulted while on the job. Health and social care associate professionals also have an increased risk, at 3.9%, while the figure for health professionals is 3.3% (GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 2020).

Workers in public-facing roles, including education are also at risk, says Ruth Wilkinson, IOSH head of health and safety. “Public-facing workers have a higher potential for violence from strangers – around 60% of all reported violent incidents while in 29% of incidents the offender is known to the victim through work.”

NASUWT SURVEY

A survey of more than 4,700 NASUWT members in 2021 suggests that 38% have been subjected to verbal abuse from students in past year, while 10% have received threats of physical violence from pupils during the same period. The poll found that 6% of teachers have been subjected to physical violence by pupils in the last year. NASUWT sought responses from its members across the UK, including Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Often, teachers said the abuse and attacks made them less enthusiastic about their job. Several said they did not report poor behaviour because they felt that no action would be taken, while others said they had been warned that doing so would harm their careers.

Claire Saunders, an education consultant says, “A challenge is reporting of incidents perceived to be minor, such as verbal abuse. Employees may not see the benefit in reporting, but it will help the employer to understand the environment in which the employee is working and to build an understanding of service users that may present a risk.”

Rosemary Carabine, a member of the NASUWT executive, said: “Why should a teacher, or a group of teachers, feel they can only feel safe at work, or make a difference in their workplace, by using grievance procedures, or having to resort to collective industrial action to stop the threats or aggression that occurs for some on a daily basis? How many more disciplinary, capability or such procedures do we allow some of our members to go through because they are perceived to be not dealing with the unacceptable and extreme behaviour before we say enough is enough?”

The feedback comes in the midst of a public debate over the use of exclusions and school discipline policies that include removing disruptive pupils from classes and other sanctions.

Legislation and reporting incidents

In situations where the risk of workplace violence is foreseeable, health and safety legislation applies. In the UK, this includes the general duties of employers to their employees under section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the requirements for risk assessments under regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (as amended) 1999. Where instances of workplace violence result in specified injuries, incidents should be reported to RIDDOR within the designated timeframe.