Violent pupils menace teachers

85,000 teachers have experienced verbal or physical abuse

A helpline for stressed-out teachers is receiving a thousand calls a month - with the threat of violence causing much of the anxiety.

Teacherline, which opened last September, offers counselling to teachers who are feeling under pressure.

And a survey from Teacherline's founders suggests that the widespread threat of violence against staff - from both pupils and parents - has become a major cause of stress.

According to the survey, one in six teachers - representing 85,000 staff - have experienced verbal or physical abuse from pupils.

And one in eight teachers have faced aggressive behaviour from parents.

This can range from verbal abuse to threats and physical attacks, says Patrick Nash, chief executive of TBF: The Teacher Support, which set up Teacherline.

Safety fears

If such threats against teachers are not tackled, says Mr Nash, there is an increased long-term risk of anxiety and depression - and the kind of stress-related problems which are brought to Teacherline.

The research was commissioned in an attempt to find the roots of the stress afflicting the teaching profession

The uncovering of such widespread threats against teachers' safety was a very serious problem, said Mr Nash, which had "big implications" for the future of the teaching profession.

While school security had improved in recent years, the consequences of prolonged exposure to such threats needed to be addressed.