How To Improve Behaviour

Worried about kids behaving badly north of the Border ?

The obvious thing to do is to criminalise parents who smack their children. After all, violence breeds violence.

It seems to be a really successful policy.


A police spokesman said: "A 47-year-old woman was injured following an incident at Pinewood Primary in Drumchapel on Wednesday, 24 November.

"An eight-year-old boy will be the subject of a report to the Children's Panel in connection with the incident."


A Scottish Executive report into teachers' perceptions of indiscipline showed an increase on the last study carried out in 1996.

It also found that 56% of teachers said pupils had been physically aggressive to other children, which was a 50% rise on eight years ago.

About 11% said pupils racially abused others which was almost double the 1996 figure and 33% said they had witnessed sexual abuse or harassment, which was an increase of 16%.

Teachers also said they had been the subject of abuse, with 2% of secondary school teachers reporting racist abuse, which was up from 0.5%.

The study found 8% reported physical aggression - up from 1% - and verbal abuse was reported by 45% of teachers, up from 27%.

Further to that, 39% of teachers said pupils had been physically destructive, compared to 18% in 1996, while 84% said children persistently broke class rules, as opposed to 72% eight years earlier.