Almost 150 Aberdeen teachers assaulted in schools this year including staff bitten by pupils

Almost 150 teachers in Aberdeen have been assaulted in schools this year, including attacks where staff have been bitten by pupils.

Figures from Aberdeen City Council show 143 teachers have been attacked, resulting in 87 members of staff suffering bruising, grazes and scratches.

A further seven teachers suffered “bites” while other assaults resulted in strains and sprains, open wounds, and dislocation.

Over the last three years, there have now been 491 physical assaults on teachers in schools across the city. Other injuries over this period included head injuries and closed fractures.

It comes after the BBC reported a whistleblowing form for teachers to report violent incidents involving pupils in schools was removed by the council.

Get all the latest Aberdeen news and headlines sent straight to your inbox by signing up to our free newsletter.

From breaking news in and around the city, to traffic and travel and health, we’ve got you covered.

The manually created newsletter arrives every day at around 4pm, giving you a round up of the most important stories we’ve covered that day.

To sign up, simply click this link here.

And if you aren’t already, make sure you join the conversation over on our Facebook Groups and Aberdeen Live Instagram.

Scottish Conservative North East MSP Douglas Lumsden said: “Schools should be safe and secure places to learn yet these horrifying figures tell a different story.

“The statistics are incredibly concerning and emphasise the worrying predicament teachers across Aberdeen are faced with on a regular basis.

“It’s clear to see the cuts imposed on councils by the SNP government are having a negative impact on both staff and pupils.

“In Aberdeen and across Scotland, far too many teachers are at risk of being physically abused as they do their job while many incidents also go unreported.

“Teachers need to be given additional support to ensure they feel safe to carry out their duties in the classroom but not enough is being given.

“It won’t be achievable to give every child the best possible start in life unless the Scottish Government makes sure that schools are places where both pupils and staff feel comfortable, confident and ready to learn.”

An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said: “The health, safety and wellbeing of our staff and pupils is our highest priority.

“Staff in schools have always had and continue to have access to the corporate whistle blowing policy.

“All incidents where a member of staff has been injured are fully investigated and support offered to staff and young people involved.

“As part of a behaviour plan developed in consultation with all trade unions, all staff are undertaking de-escalation training.”

Image Credits and Reference: https://www.aberdeenlive.news/news/aberdeen-news/almost-150-aberdeen-teachers-assaulted-9823063