There are more than four physical attacks on education staff in West Dunbartonshire every day of the school term, according to bombshell new figures.
Data released after a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the Lennox shows that there were 862 physical assaults recorded on education staff between October 3, 2023 and October 3, 2024.
Based on a 39 week school year that works out at 22 a week, or more than four a day during term time.
Jim Halfpenny, of West Dunbartonshire EIS, said staff are also subjected to verbal assaults, with the number of both physical and verbal assaults reported to the union reaching 744 for April to June this year alone.
He said a number of issues are creating an environment where pupils are feeling isolated, distressed and are lashing out.
Jim told the Lennox: “A lack of investment in education and support for young people, coupled with societal issues such as poverty, the influence of social media, mental ill-health and the continuing aftermath of the pandemic, have created an environment where too many young people feel alienated, isolated and distressed.
“For a growing minority of young people, this is increasingly manifesting itself in unruly, disruptive or violent behaviour, including during the school day and aimed at staff and other pupils.
“Earlier this year a major national survey of Scotland’s schools published by the EIS, indicated that 83 percent report incidents of violence and aggression every week.
“And 72 percent of EIS school branches indicated that incidences of violence and aggression have grown over the past four years, compared to levels prior to the Covid pandemic.
“Poor pupil behaviour, including violence and the threat of violence, is having a detrimental impact on the learning experience of all pupils in our schools. This is against a backdrop of large class sizes, overworked teachers, rising levels of additional support needs (ASN) and cuts to specialist provision.
“A lack of investment in education and support for young people, coupled with societal issues such as poverty, the influence of social media, mental ill-health and the continuing aftermath of the pandemic, have created an environment where too many young people feel alienated, isolated and distressed.”
The figures show a total of 884 physical assaults on council staff were recorded across all departments over the last 12 months; with more than 97 percent of these being on education workers.
Seventeen separate incidents were recorded by Health and Social Care Partnership workers, with four involving housing and employability workers and one involving a roads and neighbourhood employee.
A survey by the EIS last year showed that 66 percent of members experienced attacks on a daily basis – a figure that it says has increased significantly in recent years.
According to the survey, 70 percent of teachers have experienced physical violence; including slapping, punching, kicking, hair pulling, biting and having objects thrown at them.
The survey also found that 90 percent of teachers felt the unmet needs of ASN pupils exacerbates violent, aggressive or disruptive behaviour.
The council has said it is committed to supporting all children, particularly those with ASN, as well as staff to ensure they feel safe at work.
However, Jim says many staff who work with ASN pupils don’t feel safe at work.
He explained: “In West Dunbartonshire over 40 percent of school pupils have an identified ASN.
“One in 10 children aged five to 16 has a clinically diagnosable mental illness.
“Teachers working with children with additional support needs, including autism spectrum disorders, report that their daily work can be very rewarding, but it is also difficult and stressful, and they can experience serious violence and disruption from pupils, including being bitten, spat on, scratched, slapped and kicked. Many report that they don’t feel safe at work.
“Despite the fact that councils have a legal duty to protect the health and safety of its employees and pupils in a school, many staff have come to see this type of violent behaviour as the norm, leaving them exasperated and demoralised by the failure to protect them from serious harm.
“This increase in violent behaviour is particularly marked among the youngest children in primary and early years.”
He added: “What we know is that figures issued by councils and the Scottish Government are a significant under representation of incidents of violence and aggression in our schools.
“What we have now is a culture of resignation by staff to much of this violence and aggression, in particular swearing which appears to be endemic.”
Jim says poverty is a massive local issue, with figures last year revealing that more than one in four children in West Dunbartonshire are living on the breadline.
He said: “Undoubtedly, the violence of poverty plays a significant part in a child’s response to perceived problems inside and outside of school.
“That poverty visits us in the classroom every day and blights the educational chances of these children.
“But that poverty can overwhelm and break a family. Domestic violence can be a daily experience for many children.
“Violence that is, more often than not, perpetrated upon women in a household. Many children learn to treat women with disrespect and contempt. This in turn can often be reflected in a child’s violent and aggressive attitude towards female teachers and support staff.”
A spokeswoman for West Dunbartonshire Council said the local authority is committed to supporting all children, especially children with additional learning and support needs, and that they had a wide range of wellbeing supports in place including professional development to ensure employees are well placed to support children with additional learning and support needs.
She added: “The council is committed to reducing physical and verbal abuse and we support employees to record incidents.
“We all have the right to work without fear of violence or threats and we are committed to working with and supporting our employees to ensure they are safe at work.”