Teachers Face Rising Violence in Classrooms, Union Demands National Action
Teachers across the United Kingdom are being subjected to alarming levels of physical and verbal abuse in their workplaces, according to distressing accounts shared by union members. Delegates at the National Education Union (NEU) conference in Brighton have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion calling for a comprehensive national campaign to address and reduce violence in schools.
Disturbing Personal Accounts Emerge
During the emotional debate on the motion, educators shared harrowing stories of colleagues being assaulted and abused within school premises. Laura Ann Watford from Portsmouth revealed that one of her teacher friends was left "traumatised" after being "beaten to the ground by a student and kicked 14 times while she was on the floor." Another delegate, Susan Kent, reported that one of her members was "left with bruises and bites" due to violent pupil behaviour in her classroom.
Charlotte Lawrence from Portsmouth, who proposed the motion, explained that she has spent "more time managing the dangerous behaviour of a small number of pupils in my class than delivering the high-quality education that the whole class deserves." She detailed how staff are being grabbed, kicked, punched, spat at, cornered in classrooms, and subjected to threats, while managing corridors that feel more like crowd control than educational spaces.
Broader Impact on Learning Environments
The violence extends beyond staff, with Lawrence noting that "children are being assaulted by peers, witnessing frightening incidents and trying to learn in environments where emotional dysregulation becomes the norm because there aren't enough staff or resources to intervene early or safely." She emphasised that pupils should not be blamed for the increase in violent behaviour, attributing the rise to unmet needs, mental health challenges, and unrecognised trauma.
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede highlighted systemic issues, stating: "Schools are running on empty and don't have enough staffing and pastoral support. Access to Send and mental health specialists is a real challenge and this makes it harder for schools to intervene early."
Survey Data Reveals Widespread Problem
The motion follows an NEU survey of 10,715 members which found that two in three teachers report bad behaviour by pupils regularly disrupts learning. Teachers are far more likely to report behaviour regularly disrupting learning than before the pandemic, with levels similar to 2024 when 67% of surveyed NEU members said behaviour negatively impacted learning either regularly or all the time.
Primary schools, special schools, and schools in higher deprivation areas show particularly concerning patterns. Female teachers, younger educators, and support staff are disproportionately affected, with Amy-Jane Clarke from Norfolk revealing that 60% of her female members have considered leaving education due to violence and misogyny.
Union Calls for Comprehensive Response
The approved motion calls for multiple concrete actions including a comprehensive survey of members' experiences with school violence, promotion of practices supporting pupil wellbeing while managing behaviour, lobbying for a national framework for school safety, training on de-escalation techniques, and establishment of a violence in schools task force to support affected members and make policy recommendations.
The motion also seeks to conduct a survey similar to one by the NASUWT teaching union, which found last year that more than four in five teachers felt the number of pupils exhibiting violent and abusive behaviour had increased, with two in five reporting personal experience of physical abuse or violence.
Broader Context and Government Response
This debate occurs amid broader discussions about school discipline, particularly following Labour's new guidance suggesting out-of-school suspensions should only be used as a last resort. Research by the Department for Education indicates teachers and leaders believe pupil behaviour has deteriorated considerably since 2021/22.
Analysis from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) further reveals that teachers who report worsening behaviour in their schools are more likely to leave teaching or consider leaving. The government has established 93 hubs aiming to support approximately 3,000 schools nationwide with improving attendance and behaviour, though union representatives argue more comprehensive measures are urgently needed.
