Violence and harassment against teachers must stop, says union

The Independent Education Union of Australia (IEUA) NSW/ACT Branch has called on employers to put stronger measures to assist teachers who are facing unprecedented levels of workplace violence and harassment, often from their own students.

The education union has called upon non-government school employers to step up and provide data on rates of violence and harassment across Australian schools.

Figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research showed that the statistics are incredibly alarming, as in the year to June, there had been almost 2,300 assaults occurring on public and private school premises, which is barely lower than results configured last year, which stood at 2,460.

Various incidents such as assaults, intimidation, stalking, and even reports of sexual touching have been on the rise. Possessions of weapons are also on the rise, as police are being called to intervene at school much more frequently.

Due to this, the union is calling to implement much stronger protective and preventive measures that can better ensure teachers and support staff are safe from these rising rates of violence and harassment.

“Our members are reporting increasing incidents of violence and sexual harassment by students directed towards teachers and other staff in schools, and we are calling on their employers to produce a clear picture of what is happening and what they’re doing about it,” said IEUA NSW/ACT Branch deputy secretary David Towson.

“This problem is escalating in all school sectors, and it is unacceptable.”

The union called for a number of measures to be put in place to better facilitate protection, post-incident support for teachers who are affected by this behaviour, and accountability against the perpetrators who take part in these heinous acts.

“We call on employers to provide confidential reporting mechanisms, prompt and thorough investigations and appropriate action against perpetrators,” Towson said.

“We’re also asking for training programs for all staff and students to raise awareness about harassment and its impact, as well as strategies for prevention and intervention.”

All workers across Australia are entitled to a safe environment, and employers have a responsibility to ensure that their workers are afforded this entitlement. According to the union, law reforms impose a positive duty on employers to eliminate unlawful behaviour.

“This positive duty imposes a legal obligation on employers to take meaningful action to prevent unlawful conduct in the workplace, including behaviour by students towards employees,” Towson said.

“We urge all non-government school employers to clarify the extent of the problem and to take real action to create safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces to which all staff are entitled.”