Women Teachers in Scotland Facing More Classroom Violence Than Male Colleagues, Says Union

A teacher and students in a classroom

FEMALE teachers in Scotland are more than a third more likely to be attacked than their male counterparts, according to a new trade union report.

The NASUWT’s Behaviour in Schools survey found nearly half — 49 per cent — of female teachers had suffered physical abuse or violence in the classroom over the last year compared with 36 per cent of males.

The report also found that 27 per cent of female teachers had been hit or punched and one in five had been kicked compared with rates of 13 and 8 per cent respectively for their male counterparts.

And 12 per cent of female teachers reported being spat at by pupils, three times the rate of their male colleagues.

One in 20 women teachers had be subjected to sexual abuse from students, compared with one in 50 of their male colleagues, a final statistic showing the need to tackle the growing scourge of misogyny directed at female teachers and pupils alike, says the union.

NASUWT national official in 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.

“Local authorities and the Scottish government need to make schools a central plank of strategies to eradicate gender-based violence.”

A Scottish government spokesperson said it had “published guidance on responding to gender-based violence in schools,” adding: “Violence or abusive behaviour in our schools is completely unacceptable.”