‘Devastating toll’ of attacks on teaching assistants revealed by study

Exclusive: Largely female and low-paid UK school staff report being kicked and punched by pupils

Teaching and classroom assistants (TAs) working in mainstream schools in the UK have described being kicked, punched and spat at by pupils in a new study that explores for the first time aggression targeted at support staff, who are predominantly female and low-paid.

They told researchers they had been hit in the face, bitten, had objects thrown at them and received death threats, with incidents reported in primary and secondary schools. Their injuries included cuts, a black eye, a dislocated thumb, a broken finger and torn ligaments, according to the University of Roehampton study.