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TrendsBehaviour
Media reports frequently tell us
of poor pupil behaviour in UK
schools. But why is this behaviour
increasingly turning to violence?
And what impact is this having
on our teachers and schools?
Louise Kinnaird reports.
Whyhave
children
become
so
violent?
F
our in ten teachers were physically assaulted
by a pupil in 2015,according to a survey by
the Association of Teachers and Lecturers.1
Of
these,most had been pushed or shoved (77
per cent),but other forms of violence from pupils
included kicking (52 per cent),punching (37 per cent)
or throwing objects such as furniture (50 per cent).
Figures vary as to the exact number of UK teachers
and support staff who are subject to pupil aggression,
whether physical or verbal,which might include
abuse,threats or intimidation.However,the number

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of suspensions and exclusions can give some indication as to their frequency.According to the
Department for Education,there were 20,770 temporary exclusions for physical assault of an
adult in 2014-15,compared with 18,970 the previous year.Permanent exclusions also rose—
610 as opposed to 550 the year before.2
Not safe for work
Many pupils are prone to frustrations that they may express in one way or another in the
classroom.Yet it can be a frightening experience for teaching staff to experience pupil
aggression,which can seem so irrational and unpredictable,especially if the aggression turns to
violence.Of the ATL survey,some 50 per cent of teachers said dealing with pupils’challenging
or aggressive behaviour had caused them stress,and 41 per cent said it caused them anxiety.

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A staff member at a state primary school in England said:‘A pupil once hit me in the
back totally unexpectedly,because I had asked her to put a book away.I was so winded
and hurt that I couldn’t carry on that day.’
Katherine,a primary teacher in Gloucestershire,says:‘One class teacher had to
remove the rest of the class from the classroom,on more
than one occasion,due to violent and threatening outbursts
by one Year 5 boy.The head was then called into the room
to calm and remove the child,allowing his classmates and
teaching staff to return.’
The situation has escalated to such a degree that
members of the NASUWT teachers’union have held ballots
to refuse to teach violent pupils.One such case,as reported
in the BBC news,was of a 16-year-old pupil who had
assaulted pupils,teachers,the headteacher and the police
when called to assist.After a ballot by teachers,the pupil
was‘educated off-site’.Meanwhile,in a secondary school in
north Wales,a teenager had threatened to‘slit the throat’
of another pupil.After a ballot by teachers,the pupil was
expelled.
Why is it happening?
Pupils who are physically aggressive are,according to the
charity Young Minds,expressing frustration.They say that
‘this is often their way of saying they don’t like what they
are feeling—if they can’t tell us in words,they use their
behaviour’.3
One teacher suggested that aggressive and violent
behaviour is linked to issues at home.Referring to a group of
four aggressive Year 4 boys,she said: ‘The main instigator is
a child with a list of emotional,social and educational needs
and who finds school difficult.It is my understanding that his
home life is troubled.’
One teacher suggested
that aggressive and
violent behaviour is
linked to issues at home.
Referring to a group of
four aggressive Year
4 boys, she said: ‘The
main instigator is a child
with a list of emotional,
social and educational
needs and who finds
school difficult.
“”

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In some schools,particularly those serving areas of high deprivation,pupils with
behavioural or mental health problems,some as young as four,can bring anger and
aggression into school with them.Barnardo’s have suggested that‘out of control’pupils
may also be the most vulnerable,those for whom aggression and violence is normal
behaviour and a reflection of their life situations.
In an Ofsted report,former chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw blamed poor pupil
behaviour on the‘inconsistent’behaviour policies of schools.4
He said that the key
to cracking down on bad behaviour is strong leadership,and that there is currently a
‘casual culture of acceptance’of poor behaviour.But according to teachers,classroom
violence is not simply a reflection of failures in school management.The ATL poll
reports that major factors contributing to problem behaviour in schools include:
■ a lack of positive role models at home
■ relational breakdowns within families
■ seeking attention from other pupils.
Other explanations vary but include:
■ too much focus on data-driven targets
■ increasing class sizes and the lack of support for children with special needs in
mainstream schools
■ diminishing standards of parenting with pupils coming to school without having
learned either self-control or appropriate boundaries
■ diminishing respect for teachers.
Dr Stephanie Thornton,a chartered psychologist,says:‘There are limits to the extent to
which schools can counter the effect of such social changes—particularly given that
the aggressive tend to be those pupils who have a poor commitment to school,who
truant and“hang out”with groups of delinquents,gaining status with these peers by
engaging in delinquency and disrespecting authority.’5
If violent behaviour can be attributed to problems at home,perhaps building
relationships with parents could help? The problem with this is,in some cases,that it
is the pupils who are showing aggressive behaviour whose parents turn a blind eye.

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Support for the school by parents can vary dramatically,with some parents being
unaware of their child’s behaviour at school,and some who validate this behaviour.
Indeed,the 2014 ATL poll reported that more than a quarter of teachers (27 per cent)
had experienced aggression from parents themselves.6
‘My confidence was destroyed’
Trying to manage aggressive behaviour is extremely demanding and can have a
detrimental effect on both teachers’physical and mental health,and their retention.
The ATL poll showed that over a third of teachers (35 per cent) had considered leaving
the profession because of poor student behaviour,and over a quarter (26 per cent) had
considered a change of school.
One teacher revealed:‘Soon after [an incident of aggression],I left teaching due to
stress and depression,and my confidence was destroyed.I am teaching again now at a
different school,but still remember that awful time and the fact that I had no support.’
So,how should schools deal with such aggressive behaviour?
Two-thirds of staff the ATL surveyed believe that having a steadfast whole-school
behaviour policy was the most effective way of managing pupil behaviour (67 per
cent).Whole-school bullying policies (53 per cent) and receiving support from the
management team (47 per cent) were also considered important.
However,according to Ofsted,too many school leaders are not doing enough
to ensure high standards of behaviour.They believe that high exclusion figures and
the repeated exclusion of the same pupils are indicators of poor overall performance
and will be considered when judging school leadership.An Ofsted spokesman said:
‘The repeated exclusion of the same pupils will
suggest that a school’s policies are ineffective and
that different strategies are required.’7
On the other hand,Chris Keates,general
secretary of NASUWT,said:‘There is no evidence
that schools are excluding pupils lightly.They are
doing it to restore order and discipline … When
primaries exclude,you can be sure it is as a last
resort and because of really serious behaviour.It
is unacceptable that heads that do take action to
protect children and staff are penalised when the
support they need from local authorities for early
intervention is not there.’
Where is the support for
schools?
Violent behaviour is now a daily reality for
most staff with reports of support becoming
increasingly patchy.As well as having to teach
pupils and to be specialists in their subject,
teachers increasingly feel the need to be
psychologists and behavioural experts to
understand the problems and know how to deal with pupils who display aggressive
and violent behaviour.Inadequate and underfunded services mean undue stress is
being put on teaching staff who are not trained or qualified to tackle violent behaviour
and who may need additional support from other agencies,particularly mental health
agencies.
The repeated exclusion of the same pupils will
suggest that a school’s policies are ineffective and that
different strategies are required.
“”

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References
1. Association of Teachers and Lecturers (2016)
Education staff facing physical violence from pupils –
ATL.[press release] 21 January.Available at:atl.org.uk/
media-office/2016/education-staff-facing-physical-
violence-from-pupils.asp [Accessed 10 August 2016].
2. Department for Education (2016) Permanent and
fixed-period exclusions in England:2014 to 2015.
[online] Available at:gov.uk/government/statistics/
permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england-
2014-to-2015 [Accessed 10 August 2016].
3. Young Minds (n.d.) About anger,aggression and
violence.[online] Available at:youngminds.org.uk/
for_parents/worried_about_your_child/anger/
managing_anger [Accessed 10 August 2016].
4. Ofsted (2014) Below the radar:low-level disruption in
classrooms.[online] Available at:gov.uk/government/
publications/below-the-radar-low-level-disruption-
in-the-countrys-classrooms [Accessed 10 August
2016].
5. Thornton,S.(2015) Mental health and aggression.
SecEd [online] 5 March.Available at: sec-ed.co.uk/
best-practice/mental-health-and-aggression
[Accessed 10 August 2016].
6. Association of Teachers and Lecturers (2014) Half of
education staff have faced aggression from students
in the last year.[press release] 1 September.Available
at:atl.org.uk/media-office/2014/Half-of-education-
staff-have-faced-aggression-from-students-in-the-
last-year.asp [Accessed 10 August 2016].
7. Henry,J.(2009) Schools penalised for excluding
violent pupils.The Telegraph [online] 1 November.
Available at:telegraph.co.uk/education/
educationnews/6475736/Schools-penalised-for-
excluding-violent-pupils.html [Accessed 10 August
2016].
Knowledge trails
1. Culture, discipline and the rules –
Geoff Moss and John Bayley consider how
to develop a rigorous school behaviour
policy to deal with increasingly aggressive
behaviour.
library.teachingtimes.com/articles/
culture-discipline-and-the-rules
2. The long arm of the law – One school’s
successful collaboration with local police
has reached many aspects of students’
lives, from tackling knife crime and drugs
to behaviour in the classroom. Crispin
Andrews reports.
library.teachingtimes.com/articles/the-
long-arm-of-the-law
Specialist services such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
assess and treat children and young people with mental,emotional or behavioural
difficulties.Usually,when schools cannot offer the support of their own counsellor,or
when a child has especially serious difficulties,they might look to outside sources such
as CAMHS for help,but as one school reported,the impact of council budget cuts on
CAMHS in some areas has been severe.
The charity Young Minds found that other mental health spending targeted at
children and young people,such as youth counselling or specific services for schools,
had also been cut,some by as much as 30 per cent.
Some schools are struggling to provide professional support,and some use the
Pupil Premium to pay for a regular counsellor.But this inconsistent system of support
and haphazard access to funds means that schools are bearing the burden.
What now?
Teachers are bearing the brunt of deteriorating standards of behaviour in pupils in that
they are not only on the receiving end of children’s frustration and anger,but also have
to deal with the repercussions of parental and family breakdowns.The funding cuts to
local services mean that schools often have limited professional help and mental health
resources.Added to this,schools are being criticised for deteriorating pupil behaviour
even as teacher retention is reaching crisis levels.
Schools have a duty not only to satisfy all pupils’right to be taught but to protect
their staff and pupils from violent behaviour in the classroom,for which they are
ill equipped.Teachers are entitled to work in an
environment where violence is not a threat and where
they have appropriate access to training and support
for aggressive behaviour,and pupils are entitled to have
their educational needs met in a safe environment.
For the minority of pupils who are so aggressive
that they cannot be accommodated in normal schools,
perhaps specialist,alternative provision would be more
appropriate.In the interim,more needs to be done
to ensure schools have access to effective support
services while the new government decides on the best
outcome for everyone.Only a coherent and properly
funded national approach will work for schools and for
children to get the right support they need.
Louise Kinnaird is a freelance writer,specialising in
child development and psychology.