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The survey, by independent charity Teacher Support Network, reveals that 49 per cent of respondents had suffered physical abuse by pupils

The survey into teachers’ experiences of violence and disruption revealed that of the 433 respondents, 92 per cent had been verbally abused by pupils and 49 per cent had been physically abused.

Of those who had been physically abused, 53 per cent had been assaulted with a thrown object, 26 per cent with a ‘weapon’ such as furniture or equipment, two per cent with a knife and one per cent with a gun.

The attacks included stabbing with scissors and nails, strangulation, hands trapped in doors, and one teacher had a fire extinguisher turned on them.

Patrick Nash, Chief Executive of Teacher Support Network, said:

“Fortunately, extreme cases of violence and abuse are rare and only two per cent of calls and emails to Teacher Support Network focus on pupil indiscipline.

"However, for those teachers seeking our support, the effects of violence and abuse can be devastating.

“The survey revealed that 37 per cent of respondents have taken time off work due to their injuries, or stress and depression as a result of being abused. We will now use the experiences of teachers from the survey to give our coaches and counsellors a greater insight into the traumatic impact of such incidents."



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