Teaching union finds nearly half of female teachers face physical violence from pupils
The NASUWT are calling for support to tackle misogyny
A teaching union is calling on the Scottish Government to offer better support to schools to help tackle misogyny.
It comes after a report by the NASUWT found nearly half (49%) of female teachers in Scotland who responded said they had experienced physical abuse or violence from pupils in the last year, compared to 36% of their male colleagues.
The union says it wants ministers and employers to “take greater action to support schools and on social media to tackle the scourge of misogyny and gender-based abuse directed at women teachers, which also affects female pupils”.
In the report, 27% of female teachers reported being hit or punched, compared to 13% of male teachers.
"I've had my cheekbone broken three times"
Meanwhile, 20% of female teachers said they had been kicked by a pupil, compared to 8% of male teachers, and 12% reported being spat on, compared to 8% of their male colleagues.
One teacher who spoke to Greatest Hits Radio anonymously said: “I’ve had an arm very badly damaged by a child hitting it repeatedly with a pipe, I’ve broken a cheekbone three times, and I’ve had my hair pulled, sometimes to the point of being pulled out.”
She added: “I think we need to be talking about it more openly, I think for me the fact that I’m assaulted at work, and I don’t think it’s surprising or even shocking, is in itself shocking, that it’s become an accepted norm.”
The NASUWT’s report added 5% of female teachers reported experiencing sexual abuse from pupils, compared to 2% of male teachers, while female teachers also saying sexism and misogyny were among the types of verbal abuse they receive from pupils.
"A reflection of wider societal culture"
NASUWT National Official Scotland Mike Corbett said: “Women members have reported appalling sexist and misogynistic abuse, which in some cases is also spilling over into physical violence against them.
“What women are experiencing in schools is a reflection of a wider societal culture in which violence and misogyny against women and girls is seeing a resurgence.
“This is why it cannot be left to schools alone to tackle this issue.
“As well as taking action to ensure every school has behaviour management policies in place and enacted which place effective sanctions on pupils who abuse staff, local authorities and the Scottish Government need to make schools a central plank of strategies to eradicate gender-based violence.”
"Will only be resolved when men and boys change their behaviour"
The union says action should include “explicitly” teaching pupils about misogyny and misogynistic attitudes, and improving reporting procedures to include incidents of sexual harassment.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Violence or abusive behaviour in our schools is completely unacceptable. We all want our schools to be safe and consistent learning environments for teachers, wider staff and pupils alike.
“Last year the Scottish Government published guidance on responding to gender-based violence in schools, including instances where staff members are affected. This guidance was developed in partnership with our teaching trade unions, including the NASUWT.
“However, the NASUWT are absolutely right to state that schools cannot respond to these challenges on their own.
"The horrifying increase in violence towards women is a broader societal challenge, which will only be resolved when men and boys change their behaviour.”
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