Teachers’ survey puts school violence back on Luxembourg’s agenda

School violence has returned to the centre of Luxembourg’s education debate. RTL reports that the SEW/OGBL teachers’ union presented a national survey of 1,115 teachers, conducted between late January and mid-April, with results the union calls alarming.

According to the survey, 820 respondents said they had experienced violence against themselves in the previous 12 months. Of those, 38 percent, or 314 people, reported such violence one to five times a week.

The union says verbal aggression was the most frequent form, but physical incidents were also common. RTL reports that 450 people said they had been physically attacked in the previous year, 233 suffered an injury and 64 sought medical consultation after a violent incident.

The SEW/OGBL argues that many incidents are not reported because of bureaucracy, fear or a sense that school hierarchies do not respond properly. It is calling for national statistics, clearer procedures, psychological and legal support, training during teacher induction and an anonymous reporting system.

The issue also overlaps with prevention work around online violence and cyberbullying, highlighted separately by Luxemburger Wort. The common thread is that schools need prevention before incidents escalate and credible support after they happen.