Normalisation of pupil violence against Teaching Assistants

Despite survey data suggesting that teaching assistants (TAs) experience more violent incidents from students than any other sector of the educational workforce, their experiences have thus far been neglected in research. 

In this talk, Amanda Holt will draw on findings from the first UK project to interview TAs from mainstream schools about their experiences of such violence, its impacts, and how schools respond to it. The findings are contextualised in terms of the poorly-paid and poorly-valued nature of TA work, which is overwhelmingly undertaken by women, and how the failure of some schools to respond appropriately constitutes a form of institutional betrayal that leaves teaching assistants particularly vulnerable.

This event will be particularly useful for researchers, policy makers and teachers.

Related links

• Thomas Coram Research Unit (TCRU)
• TCRU seminar series
• Social Research Institute