Victorian Catholic education member survey: Dangerous student and parent behaviour
Not all the insights offered in this survey were to do with pay and workload. Members made it clear that their safety is being compromised at work.
The consensus among respondents is that without concrete protections, clear behavioural standards, and real consequences for abusive conduct, the education system will continue to lose experienced educators. Teachers are asking not just to be heard but to be protected, supported, and treated with the respect they deserve.
As one member said, ‘Student disruption is the single largest impact on staff wellbeing and a primary cause of teachers choosing to leave the profession. Make this issue a priority. Help us be heard.’
Read more results from our recent member survey:
Student aggression
Sadly, teachers and support staff report ever-increasing physical and verbal aggression from students and parents, often with no meaningful response from employers:
‘Violence and bullying … towards teachers is out of control… repercussions are so minuscule… it undermines teacher respect in every way.’
Members want ‘more protection for teachers from students who are verbally or physically aggressive on an ongoing basis’.
They said strategies and stronger consequences were required to deal with poorly behaved students in the classroom. and that schools and governing bodies had been ‘looking the other way’ on the issue.
Quotes included:
‘Greater protections to employees facing psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Stronger language around breaches by employers of workplace regulations.’
‘More protection is needed for teachers. Due processes need to be strengthened for the psychological safety of teachers.’
‘More rights and supports for students who are physically aggressive like removing those students for more than three minutes to ensure that staff and students feel safe.’
Reps speak up at IEU Council, May.
Parental aggression
Staff are also experiencing escalating stress due to the ‘unrealistic expectations’ of aggressive parents and their lack of respect for the judgement of educators. Teachers report that ‘parents have way too much say, and staff have no protection from parents’.
Many cite examples of parents refusing disciplinary measures and attacking teachers’ professionalism, leading to ‘stress… due to not having decision-making power yet being held responsible for consequences that are not yours to control.’
‘Parents who have a track record of manipulation, sabotage, hidden agendas and paranoia towards teaching staff should not be in a position to dictate professional practices where additional observations, notes, telephone calls, emails and meetings are demanded and have an impact on teacher health, wellbeing, workloads and time.
‘A growing sense of entitlement and individualised expectations from parents is impacting teacher health and wellbeing. This is also time consuming and is often at the expense of committed teaching staff. Repeat problematic parent offenders need to be disciplined for their inappropriate behaviours and manner.’
Some employers appease problem makers ‘time after time, enabling the behaviour to continue year after year’.
Members laid out what was required in response: ‘A rigid set of rules around support for employees experiencing workplace stress as a result of student and parent behaviour must be mandated ... There should be a signed code of conduct for all students and parents to adhere to that is held as a rock-solid process to be followed.’
Such measures would help set clear behavioural expectations and consequences.
False allegations
A devastating surge of spurious reportable conduct investigations has become a major part of the IEU’s work over the past five years, and it is costing education good people.
‘Often parents will complain about a teacher’s negligence or prejudice against their child despite there being strong evidence of active engagement and fair treatment. Despite this, teachers are often held to blame despite not causing any problem,’ said one respondent.
‘Worst of all is the increasing prevalence of students and parents regarding a report of abuse to the diocese or to the CCYP. Even when these cases are fairly handled and with acquittal of the innocent teacher, the strain placed on the teacher falsely accused and on their colleagues who are interviewed as part of the process is harsh.’
Another member said, ‘Parents and students have so much more power than teachers … they can make demands and accuse you of anything and you are considered guilty – regardless of whether it is true or not (there is no ‘innocent until proven guilty for teachers!’).
Teachers are demanding protocols that protect the wrongly accused, citing the emotional toll of being accused without recourse or adequate support.
Respect for teacher voice and professional autonomy
Teachers feel disempowered in both disciplinary processes and broader decision-making. ‘Parents and students have so much more power than teachers… your voice has the lowest weight.’
Many feel silenced or overruled by principals or leadership, even in cases where evidence is on their side.
‘Teachers and schools need more autonomy, not less… professionalism should be respected, not hemmed in.’
The message from members via this survey was clear: action is needed on respect for teachers not just for their own safety, but for the good of the profession and to support quality education.
