Disturbing increase in violence against teachers

The EIS survey of 875 schools showed 82.7% of them report violent or aggressive incidents each week with 72% of them saying there had been an increase in such incidents over the last four years

It was disturbing to read in Monday’s Evening News that teachers across Scotland are seeing a “significant amount of violence,” according to a new report from the teaching union, the EIS, which says that pupil violence has increased.

Its survey of 875 schools showed 82.7 per cent of them report violent or aggressive incidents each week with 72 per cent of them saying there had been an increase in such incidents over the last four years.

This coincides with the BBC reporting that “A mum whose daughter was attacked on a school bus has said young people filming these incidents are adding to the anguish of the victim.”

Her daughter, 13 years-old, was attacked when travelling home on a school bus by two girls in Fife last October which left her with bruises and scratches, but her mum says that the long term impact of the incident is still being felt.

The attack was filmed by fellow pupils and uploaded on social media which caused her daughter to hand back her phone to her parents, waiting months before she used it again.

Her mum said the video kept appearing on social media channels and this left her daughter, “in a really dark place having to relive and see that all the time”.

She has appealed to those filming such incidents not to just stand there like everybody else and record – “be the difference” she says. One victim is one too many and there may be some who are affected to the extent that they feel that they can’t carry on.

Bullies should not be tolerated, and swift and decisive action must be taken to eradicate this heinous behavior.

Disturbing increase in violence against teachers - Steve Cardownie