Assaults on teachers: what duty of care asks of Australian schools
Written and reviewed by Michael Zurzolo, Co-Founder and Director, Safe Watch Global Pty Ltd · Updated 3 November 2026
The short answer: In Australia, occupational violence, meaning violence and aggression towards staff while they work, is a workplace hazard. Under WHS laws, the school’s employer must identify the risk, eliminate or minimise it so far as is reasonably practicable, and review its controls, in consultation with staff (Safe Work Australia). That is the school’s duty of care in practice, and it covers psychological harm as well as physical injury.
Assaults on teachers are now being discussed in parliaments and courtrooms, not just staffrooms. In Queensland, the teachers’ union has launched a parliamentary e-petition, covered in the section on the Queensland petition below. This guide covers what counts as occupational violence, the numbers, what the law asks of schools, and practical steps to protect school staff. It is general information for principals, business managers and WHS leads, and for teachers and union representatives too. It is not legal advice.
What counts as occupational violence in a school?
“Occupational violence” is the term Australian regulators and unions use for assaults, threats and abuse directed at staff while they work. It isn’t only a punch or a kick: threats, intimidation and repeated abuse are part of it too. It can come from students, parents, carers or visitors.
Safe Work Australia lists “violence and aggression” as a psychosocial hazard, which is a hazard that can harm a worker’s psychological health, and includes “yelling or physical intimidation” as an example. See the model Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work.
Assaults on teachers: what the numbers show
Queensland, the official figure. An answer to a question on notice in the Queensland Parliament reported 776 cases of violence against teachers in 2021 and 20,833 in 2025 (ABC News, 27 Aug 2026).
Queensland, the union’s figure. The Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU) cites almost 25,000 violence and aggression incidents in 2025, with close to 3,000 needing hospital admission, and says incidents have nearly doubled over five years. These are Department of Education figures cited by the union (MAN TV, 16 Oct 2026). The two Queensland counts come from different sources, so they shouldn’t be blended or averaged.
Queensland, the member survey. 9,043 QTU members responded to the union’s Safe to Teach – Safe to Learn survey (QTU Journal, 26 Jun 2026). The e-petition says “seven in ten respondents have experienced a serious incident of aggression, threat or harm this year” (Queensland Parliament e-petition 4744-26).
UK. In NASUWT’s 2026 survey of 10,226 members, 59% had been verbally abused by a pupil in the last year and 17% physically assaulted (NASUWT, Behaviour in Schools – A Pulse Check 2026, PDF; NASUWT news, 5 Oct 2026).
| Figure | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Queensland: 20,833 cases in 2025 (776 in 2021), from a question on notice | ABC News, reporting the Queensland Parliament answer | 27 Aug 2026 |
| Queensland: almost 25,000 incidents in 2025, as cited by the QTU | MAN TV, citing the QTU and Department of Education figures | 16 Oct 2026 |
| Queensland: 9,043 QTU members responded to a survey | QTU Journal | 26 Jun 2026 |
| UK: 59% verbally abused by a pupil, 17% physically assaulted (10,226 members) | NASUWT survey and news release | 5 Oct 2026 |
Are assaults on teachers treated like assaults on nurses and paramedics?
Right now, assaulting a paramedic or a hospital worker in Queensland can be charged as serious assault. The union says teachers aren’t covered in the same way, and it wants that changed.
The petition. On 16 October 2026 the QTU launched a Queensland Parliament e-petition as part of its “Right Here. Right Now.” campaign (MAN TV, 16 Oct 2026). The petition is Queensland Parliament e-petition 4744-26, “Support Safety and Respect in Queensland State Schools”. Its principal petitioner is Cresta Richardson, it was posted on 15 October 2026 and it closes on 15 April 2027. It asks the House to “recognise teachers as frontline workers in relevant Queensland legislation” and to “develop and implement a statewide charter of behaviour expectations”.
What the union wants changed. The QTU’s budget submission asks to amend the definition of “public officer” in section 340 of the Criminal Code Act 1899 to include principals, teachers and other frontline state school and TAFE staff, so assaults could be charged as serious assault (QTU Journal, 26 Jun 2026).
How the law works now. Section 340 already covers public officers, which includes Queensland Ambulance Service staff and health service employees. The usual maximum penalty is 7 years, rising to 14 years in aggravated cases such as biting, spitting, causing bodily harm or being armed (Criminal Code 1899 s 340, AustLII). The ABC reported that the change would double the maximum penalty from 7 years to 14 (ABC News, 27 Aug 2026).
Balance. The union says any change must still meet the needs of students with disability and complex behaviour (MAN TV). This guide explains the proposal and takes no side on it.
What WHS law asks of schools in Australia
The main duty. The school’s employer, known in WHS law as the PCBU (the person conducting a business or undertaking), must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that workers aren’t exposed to risks to their physical or psychological health. It must also manage psychosocial risks under the WHS Regulations: identify hazards, eliminate or minimise risks, maintain controls and review them (Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice, legislation.gov.au).
Four groups of controls. Safe Work Australia describes four groups: a safe physical environment, safe systems and procedures, clear policies, and information, training and supervision. These are decided in consultation with workers and health and safety representatives (HSRs) (Safe Work Australia).
Queensland. The Managing the risk of psychosocial hazards at work Code of Practice 2022 has been in force since 1 April 2023 (WorkSafe Queensland, PDF).
An example of a school system’s policy. Victoria’s Department of Education has a Work-related violence in schools policy.
Other states. Check your own state regulator and education department. Rules differ by state and sector.
Under WHS laws, violence towards staff is treated like any other workplace hazard: find it, control it, and keep checking that the controls work. No single product makes a school compliant.
When the risk is known: lessons from special schools
In the UK, a County Court found that Essex County Council failed to take reasonable steps to protect a teaching assistant in a special educational needs (SEN) school from a foreseeable risk of injury, and ordered it to pay £92,500 (Thompsons Solicitors, 6 Oct 2026). The court heard that risk assessments weren’t up to date and that staff lacked adequate training, support and safeguards.
The lesson is that when a student’s risk is known, it has to be assessed, planned for and reviewed. As the same source puts it, “supporting pupils and protecting staff are not competing responsibilities”. This is a UK case and the law differs in Australia, but it shows what “reasonable steps” can look like.
Practical steps for principals and business managers
These steps follow the Safe Work Australia control areas and Victoria’s policy example, and they are general. Adapt them to your school’s own risk assessment.
- Identify the risk from incident reports and by talking to staff.
- Build individual behaviour and risk plans for students with known risks.
- Give every staff member a fast way to call for help, including relief and support staff. If a staff member has to send a student running to the office for help, this step isn’t done yet.
- Train staff, and practise the response.
- Record every incident and review the patterns.
- Support staff after an incident.
- Review controls regularly, with HSRs.
For day-to-day measures, see our guide to practical ways to keep teachers safe. Students are covered separately in our guide to protecting students from violence in school.
Where a staff duress app fits
Wihkum is a staff duress alarm app, and it is one of the controls a school can use. A teacher presses HELP on their own phone and chooses a help type, and the people the school has set for that type are alerted with the teacher’s location. HELP works off-site as well as on the grounds, such as on excursions and camps.
How the alert reaches people depends on the channel. Push notifications go to the closest staff set up to respond to that help type. Voice calls go to the number set for the custom help type; if none is set, they go to the number allocated to the geofence. Emails go to the mailboxes nominated for that geofence area. A geofence routes alerts and doesn’t trigger them. If a teacher is outside every geofence, Wihkum uses the last known geofence’s details.
Every incident is recorded with the date, time, staff involved and location, which supports incident reporting and review. Lockdown and Evacuate are limited to Master users and need a one-time 4-digit code, so an accidental press can’t lock the school down. See our staff duress alarm for schools and school lockdown alert system pages. Wihkum is for staff only, and it is used alongside the school’s other systems. For WA readers, see emergency help for schools in WA.
A duress app doesn’t stop an incident from starting. It gives staff a way to call colleagues for help and leaves a record you can review.
UK and US: the same duty, different laws
UK. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers must protect workers from work-related violence, as far as is reasonably practicable. They are also required to assess the risks, including the risk of work-related violence (HSE, What the law says).
US. Under the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, an employer can be cited for failing to address a recognised hazard, including workplace violence, that is likely to cause serious harm. US public school staff may fall under state plans (OSHA, Workplace violence enforcement).
Assaults on teachers: FAQs
Are assaults on teachers now considered a criminal offence?
Assault is already a crime. In Queensland, the teachers’ union is asking for teachers to be treated as “public officers” under section 340 of the Criminal Code, so assaults on them could be charged as serious assault, as they are for paramedics and health workers (QTU Journal, 26 Jun 2026; Criminal Code 1899 s 340).
Are teachers treated like nurses and paramedics under the law?
According to the union, not in Queensland’s serious assault provisions at present. Section 340 covers “public officers”, which includes Queensland Ambulance Service staff and health service employees. The union wants the definition widened to include principals, teachers and other frontline state school and TAFE staff, and a parliamentary e-petition asks the House to recognise teachers as frontline workers (Criminal Code 1899 s 340; Queensland Parliament e-petition 4744-26).
What is a school’s duty of care to staff under WHS law?
Under WHS laws, the school’s employer must eliminate or minimise risks to workers’ physical and psychological health so far as is reasonably practicable, in consultation with workers (Safe Work Australia).
Is violence from students a psychosocial hazard?
Yes. “Violence and aggression” is listed as a psychosocial hazard in the model Code of Practice: Managing psychosocial hazards at work (Safe Work Australia).
How common are assaults on teachers?
In Queensland, an answer to a question on notice reported 20,833 cases in 2025, up from 776 in 2021 (ABC News, 27 Aug 2026). The Queensland Teachers’ Union cites almost 25,000 incidents in 2025, citing Department of Education figures. The two counts come from different sources (MAN TV, 16 Oct 2026). In the UK, a 2026 NASUWT survey of 10,226 members found 59% had been verbally abused by a pupil in the last year and 17% physically assaulted (NASUWT).
What should a school do after a staff member is assaulted?
Provide first aid and support, record the incident, review the risk and the controls, and consult staff. Safe Work Australia’s guidance is to review control measures regularly, in consultation with workers and their health and safety representatives (Safe Work Australia).
Can a duress alarm help schools meet their duty of care?
It can be one of the controls: a way for staff to call for help from their own phone, plus an incident record. It doesn’t make a school compliant on its own.
Questions? Call +61 433 022 863. From A$3 per user per month. Set up in as little as 2 hours. Demos take 30 minutes.