Violence against school support workers on the rise: Report

The violence experienced by support workers in Nova Scotia public schools is getting worse, and the union representing these workers is sounding the alarm.

There were 27,000 violent incidents in public schools in Nova Scotia in the 2022-23 school year. This is a 60% increase over the past six years, reported the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

At the same rate, the number of violent incidents for the last school year is estimated at over 30,000, according to the union.

"[They're] concerned members that are scared to go to work. They're tired to go to work," said Nelson Scott, a local union president in Cape Breton, in a CBC report. "We need to fix this now."

How many workers are affected by workplace violence?

Regional Centres for Education (RCEs) and Conseil scoliare acadian provincial (CSAP) saw violence against support staff in 2022-23, according to the CUPE report.

_{Source: Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE}

Among these workers who have experienced violence in the workplace, nearly half (49%) were verbally assaulted or struck or hit.

_{Source: Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)}

Earlier this year, employers in Saskatchewan started to be required to let new hires know about the history of workplace violence in their workplace.

Why is violence against school support workers rising?

In the past seven years, the total number of incidents has grown from 17,000 to 27,000, said CUPE.

“In the same timeframe, student enrolment has increased by just nine percent. This is based on incidents reported in the workplace.”

Employers are required under Section 7 of the Provincial Violence in the Workplace Regulations (under Section 82 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act) to develop a workplace violence prevention plan where a significant risk of violence is identified. Saskatchewan first introduced the changes to its provincial employment act in 2022.

However, nearly half (49%) of workers feel their employer does not do enough to prevent violence in the workplace.

About half of CUPE school support staff have reported violence in the workplace, and a third were unsatisfied with the response they received. Over half never received a response at all. 

Nearly one in five workers also say they do not know how to report the incidents.

How to address violence against school support workers?

In 2022, workers sounded the alarm to Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Becky Druhan and the Nova Scotia government about the “crisis of violence in our schools,” said the union.

To fix the problem, CUPE is suggesting that the provincial government:

• Improve compensation and staffing levels for school support staff
• Improve training for staff
• Remove barriers to reporting incidents
• Improve data collection and analysis
• Stop excluding school support staff from participating in the development and implementation of strategies, policies and programs to address violence in schools.

“While they ignored us, the crisis of violence in public schools has gotten worse, and underfunding and understaffing has increased,” said CUPE. “We can’t afford any more wasted time from this government. For workers, for kids, for parents, and for communities across Nova Scotia: It is time to act. Join us in demanding the government end violence in schools by providing students and workers with the proper support.”

Here’s how HR can identify and eradicate workplace violence.