Poor pupil behaviour having a significant impact on teachers’ physical health

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Teachers who experience severe behaviour incidents such as physical or verbal abuse, violence and sexual assault report higher rates of almost every work-related health issue.

Some 70 per cent of teachers impacted by behaviour report headaches and migraines, compared to 61 per cent unaffected, rising to 83 per cent among those assaulted with a weapon.

Frequent nausea nearly doubles to 16 per cent, compared to 8 per cent of teachers without significant concerns.

Rates were even higher among teachers who experienced sexual harassment by a pupil, at 34 per cent.

Nearly six in 10 teachers reported being verbally abused by pupils in the previous year and nearly one in five reported being physically assaulted.

Only a third felt their employer dealt with such incidents satisfactorily.

NASUWT general secretary Matt Wrack said: “It is clear that for a significant number of teachers, poor and at times, abusive behaviour is disrupting learning and affecting their physical and mental wellbeing.

“Where violent and abusive behaviour does occur, schools and colleges have a responsibility to protect staff and pupils.

“Many do so, but in too many cases staff do not feel adequately supported, and children and young people are being placed at risk.”

Mr Wrack said that in many cases, poor behaviour “is the response to unmet Send needs, poverty, mental health problems and the impact of wider societal pressures.”

“Schools cannot tackle this alone,” he said. “Governments need to invest in fit for purpose Send support, early intervention services and greater co-ordination between education, health and children’s services.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Violence affecting teachers is completely unacceptable, and schools should never be left to deal with it alone.

“We are taking action to tackle the root causes of behaviour before problems escalate through our 93 attendance and behaviour hubs, and investing billions to make sure every child with Send can access the right support through local services and in their local school.

“That’s on top of our work to remove the scourge of child poverty from this country and set children up for the best possible start — expanding free school meals to every child from a household on universal credit, removing the two-child limit, and rolling out free breakfast clubs to every primary school.”