GMB Scotland warn nine staff members 'assaulted or abused in Perth and Kinross schools every day'

Around nine staff members in Perth and Kinross schools are physically assaulted or verbally abused every day, figures show.

GMB Scotland says the number of physical and verbal assaults are just “the tip of the iceberg” and the number of incidents “not being reported, recorded or investigated could far outstrip those that are”.

In August, the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed there were 1,643 incidents of violence and abuse reported by school staff at Perth and Kinross Council in 2023/24. The figures were included in the Perth and Kinross Education Improvement Plan 2024-2025.

However, a national GMB survey of almost 800 school support staff – which includes pupil support assistants, janitors, administration and catering workers – revealed two thirds of incidents are never recorded. And for those that reported an incident, three out of four victims said they received no feedback.

The majority – 68% – think the situation has got worse over the last three years. Almost half – 47% – do not believe local authorities take the issue seriously and 63% have had no training in de-escalating potentially violent situations.

GMB organiser Vicki Leonard has called for urgent action across Scotland’s local authorities, including Perth and Kinross Council.

She said: “Violence against staff in our schools is clearly at crisis levels but official records are still underestimating the scale of that crisis. These reports are the tip of the iceberg.

“From what our members tell us, the incidents of violence and abuse that are not being reported, recorded or investigated could far outstrip those that are.

“For every one reported, another one or possibly two is not.

“That must change as a matter of urgency and staff must be given the time and encouragement to report incidents properly and should expect those incidents to be properly investigated and acted on.”

She added: “No worker should go to their work in fear and feel relief if they arrive home unhurt.

“No one should be asked to go to their work to be punched, kicked, bit, spat on, and expecting to suffer verbal or physical abuse.”

Perth and Kinross Council said the safety and wellbeing of both pupils and staff was a “top priority” and its school staff were trained in preventing and de-escalating behaviour.

A PKC spokesperson said: “All school staff are encouraged to report incidents of distressed, challenging, violent or aggressive behaviour in schools which have affected them.

“There is an online platform to support this which ensures that every report is reviewed and responded to by the staff member’s line manager.

“The safety and wellbeing of children, young people and staff alike is a top priority for us as a council as this contributes to an effective learning and teaching environment.

“A joint Education and Learning and Trade Union working group supports improvements in this area. Less than one per cent of children and young people in our schools are involved in the situations that staff report.

“Positive behaviour is promoted across all our schools. Our school staff receive training in preventing and de-escalating behaviour and are skilled in understanding the needs of the children and young people in their classrooms.

“We would continue to encourage reporting of such incidents in the interests of safety for all involved, so appropriate steps can be taken to address and resolve these issues.”