Concerning spike in school suspensions for abusive behaviour
Suspensions, and particularly abusive behaviour, are on the rise in schools in England, as new data from the Department for Education (DfE) reveals.
Figures show that suspensions for persistent disruptive behaviour have rise from 444,676 to 569,921 from 2022-23 to 2023-24, with them almost quadrupling between 2020-21 (148,416) and 2023-24. Pandemic restrictions are likely to have had an impact on this huge spike, but the steady incline is still concerning.
The number of suspensions because of physical assault have also seen huge rises, with 141,830 incidents of physical assault against pupils in 2023-24, compared to 123,276 in 2022-23 and 102,408 in 2021-22. For physical assaults against an adult, the figure again continues to climb, with 62,897 incidents in 2023-24, 52,237 in 2022-23, and 38,986 in 2021-22.
Verbal abuse or threatening behaviour has also led to more suspensions, with 45,854 suspensions for verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against a pupil recorded in 2023-24, 40,388 incidents in 2022-23, and 31,648 in 2021-22. The data shows a stagging 174,063 suspensions for verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against an adult in 2023-24, compared to 148,381 in 2022-23 and 112,615 in 2021-22.
Suspensions from all categories have seen an increase, apart from theft, which had a small decrease in 2023-24 with 6,168 incidents. This is compared to 6,681 in 2022-23 and 5,352 in 2021-22.
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