1 in 5 Teachers surveyed have been hit by a pupil this year

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Using the survey tool Teacher Tapp, BBC News surveyed nearly 9,000 teachers in England to find out about their experiences with behaviour in the classroom and the results are concerning. 

The survey revealed:

  • 20% of teachers surveyed had been hit by a pupil this year
  • 30% of all teachers said they had witnessed pupils fighting during the week they responded to the questions
  • 40% of teachers surveyed said they had witnessed aggressively violent behaviour that needed an intervention in a single week
  • 20% of respondents to the BBC's survey said they had experienced online abuse from a parent or guardian since September. 
  • 15% of secondary teachers said they have experienced sexual harassment from a pupil when working at school.

Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT union, says teachers are reporting that violence and abuse in schools "have risen notably" since the pandemic.

"This is being compounded by cuts to specialist behaviour and mental health services for children, which have left teachers doing their best to fill the gaps and meet the needs of pupils that really require the skills of specialist counsellors and therapists," he said.