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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.

Why have children become so violent?

Four 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 workMany 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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iour 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.

16Vol 7.5

School Leadership Today

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iour 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.