In light of recent reports regarding student-on-teacher abuse in UK schools, a new study by Save My Exams has uncovered the mental toll that student and parent abuse towards teachers has on staff across the UK.

The report looks into the impact this abuse has on teacher wellbeing and retention, exploring how teachers are feeling increasingly more anxious, unmotivated and exhausted.

Save My Exams surveyed 200 current and former UK teachers, as well as reviewing data from a Department for Education (DFE) FOI request, and online Reddit forum analysis.

A third of teachers suffer from stress, anxiety and emotional exhaustion due to student-on-teacher abuse

Research from Save My Exams has revealed that nearly half of teachers (47%) admitted to feeling a lack of enjoyment and motivation in their roles due to student-on-teacher abuse.

The report also found that a third (33%) of teachers stated that they had suffered from increased stress, anxiety or emotional exhaustion — an issue that impacts more male teachers than women (42% vs 25%).

Two-fifths of teachers have left or contemplated leaving teaching due to abuse from students

Findings show that 66% of UK teachers have experienced some form of abuse from students, with verbal abuse being the most commonly reported (43%). A further 34% said they had been threatened or intimidated, while 21% admitted to suffering online harassment.

Save My Exams’ analysis of DFE data supports these findings, revealing that suspensions for verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against an adult in schools rose by 164.5% between the autumn term of 2022/23 and the spring term of 2023/24, compared to the same five-term period from 2016/17 to 2017/18.

This abuse is seemingly pushing teachers to the breaking point, as the report further found that two in five (41%) teachers have either left the profession or considered doing so due to abuse from students. The issue is more prevalent among female teachers, with 45% saying abuse has made them contemplate leaving teaching altogether.

Additionally, 4 in 10 (40%) teachers also claimed that such abuse is causing them difficulty concentrating and is preventing them from performing at their best in the classroom.

2 in 3 teachers have also been subject to abuse from parents, with 75% of millennial teachers affected

Research from Save My Exams has revealed that two-thirds (66%) of teachers have faced abuse from parents, most commonly in the form of aggressive or mocking emails and messages (24%).

Almost 1 in 4 (23%) teachers further reported receiving abuse on social media from a student’s parents. Millennial teachers report the highest levels of abuse from parents (75%).

In light of these results, the study found that only 21% of teachers believe that abuse from parents and students towards them is handled adequately.

Education expert calls on UK government to provide more investment to support behaviour policies for teachers

Lucy Kirkham, ex-teacher and Head of STEM at Save My Exams, comments:

“Our report has revealed a significant rise in student-on-teacher abuse and the potential consequences this has on both teachers and students. Not only is it having a profoundly negative impact on the quality of education UK students are receiving, but it is also dramatically affecting attainment by demotivating students and teachers.

“Teachers themselves are having to deal with more verbal and physical abuse and negative comments on online social platforms. This abuse is not just perpetrated by students, but increasingly by parents too. All of this means higher teacher absences, which point to a worsening crisis in teacher retention.

“From this report, we are calling for more guidance and financial support from the UK Government to help rebuild the trust that has deteriorated. More investment is required to support behaviour policies for teachers to deal with the extreme rise in behavioural issues since the Covid-19 pandemic, and to improve the lines of communication between parents and schools.”

Methodology: 

Save My Exams surveyed 200 current and former teachers regarding their experiences of abuse from students and parents via TLF Research. Responses were broken down by generation, gender, teacher type, and by year taught. Millennial teachers are defined as being born between 1980 and 1994.

Additionally, Save My Exams submitted a freedom of information request to the Department for Education, requesting data on increases in assaults towards adults in schools between the academic years 2016–17 and 2023–24.

Save My Exams also analysed 2,799 posts from 21 global Reddit forums and sub-Reddit forums related to teaching and pupil experiences within schools. Save My Exams then did a word-based ranking, to see what percentage of posts incited hatred and/or violence towards teachers.

About Save My Exams:

At Save My Exams our goal is simple – to develop high quality, affordable revision resources for GCSE, IGCSE, A Level and IB students. Our resources are developed by a team of world-class teachers who have over 200 years of experience helping students get the most out of their revision. Save My Exams supports over 2 million students each month and is an essential companion for anyone serious about achieving exam success.