Most parents have constructive relationships with schools, but we need to send a clear signal to an increasing minority who think abuse towards leaders and staff is acceptable says Paul Whiteman
A growing problem: More than four-fifths of school leaders (82%) said they had faced parental abuse in the previous year, with 86% saying it had increased in the last three years - Adobe Stock

Last week, our research showing that school leaders and their staff are increasingly suffering abuse or threats from parents really struck a chord within the profession.

We were contacted by members thanking us for raising awareness of the issue – perhaps highlighting that because, thankfully, only a minority of parents behave in this way, school leaders can feel alone in facing abuse.

As their union, we want them to know that we are on their side, and we are embracing the No Excuse for Abuse campaign kick-started by our fabulous colleagues in the North East.

The findings of our survey, completed by more than 1,600 school leaders across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, show that those experiencing abuse are far from alone.

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