The words of the teachers say it all. “It’s a daily occurrence.” “Extreme incidents are becoming common.” “Children are traumatised.” And “staffing has been continually cut.” Schools in Scotland are experiencing rising levels of violence and falling levels of support and resources, and the consequences are serious.

The extent of the problem is laid out in a survey of Scottish teachers, the results of which were published in The Herald this week. A total of 63.2% of teachers say there are daily incidents of pupil-on-teacher violence or aggression. They also say incidents of violence and aggression are now more common than four years ago and physical violence against teachers is most common of all.

But the problem is even bigger than that. In more than half of schools, the teachers highlighted verbal threats and intimidation as an issue. What’s more, the problem isn’t just coming from pupils: the survey reveals teachers regularly face violence from parents and carers too. It is no wonder then that Andrea Bradley, EIS General Secretary, didn’t hold back when talking about the situation: violence and aggression is a serious problem and it’s growing, she said, and it needs to be tackled now.

But first, it’s important to establish the causes and there’s no doubt it’s complicated. Many teachers, for example, noticed a marked deterioration in behaviour after pupils came back from the pandemic and had to get used to the structure and discipline of school again. In general – as our much-missed columnist and teacher Doug Marr sometimes pointed out – the attention span of pupils is also not what it was 30 years ago. And with poor behaviour sometimes transferring from outside school into the classroom, it is not an easy problem to define or tackle.

Read more: EIS teacher report reveals scale of violence in Scottish schools

However, one factor stands out as particularly significant, with the overwhelming majority of teachers stating that the problem of violence is being exacerbated by additional support needs that are being unmet in school. This was considered to be the case in 96.3% of primaries, 89.1% of secondaries and 92.3% of special schools; 62.4% of teachers also identified it as a factor that contributed to violence and aggression from parents and carers.

While shocking, the figures are not a criticism of the principle of mainstreaming, which presumes all pupils should be taught in regular schools. This was and remains, a sound principle: we should all learn with our peers where possible because it’s the best possible preparation for life after school.

However, a principle like mainstreaming can only work to its full potential if it is properly resourced and funded and the day-to-day evidence from schools is that that’s not the case. Part of the problem is that many pupils are experiencing increasing, and increasingly complex, additional needs which require extra staff, time, and efficient and quick access to services like CAHMS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services).

In reality, the opposite is happening. Not only was the policy of mainstreaming insufficiently resourced from the start, staffing and budgets have been cut since and there are simply not enough pupil-support teachers to go round.

Obviously, this has a direct effect on the pupils in need, but there is also a knock-on effect on other pupils in large classes where every pupil has their individual requirements. And the effect on the teachers themselves is also clear from the survey: increasing numbers are asking for time off and some are getting out of teaching altogether.

The question of resources is something only the Scottish Government can fix – and it must do so urgently – but the men and women running our schools must also take a careful look at the culture they may be creating. Let’s return to the words of the teachers again: “violent incident forms are repeatedly submitted with no further action being taken.” “Staff feel discouraged from reporting incidents.” “Support is not consistent”. And “there needs to be consequences when these incidents take place.”

None of this makes the case, as some might insist, for a return to the old-fashioned and often violent forms of discipline of the past. There is every chance that would simply make the problem worse.

But faced with often daily incidents of violence, aggression and threats, it is clear that many teachers do not feel that they are being properly supported or that the school authorities are taking the right approach. Violence, when it happens, should be properly and consistently recorded and investigated; staff also need sufficient training and support from the school (public and private). And if the restorative justice approach is to prove effective for everyone involved, especially the victims of violence, then teachers must also have the space and time they need to make it work.

Read more: EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley on violence in Scottish schools

None of this is straightforward and most of the potential solutions come back to the same central issue: a lack of resources. Schools also cannot be seen as somehow disconnected from the outside world and if the wider society is becoming more confrontational and aggressive, we will see the effect in the classrooms too.

However, the good news is that schools can be the perfect place to produce a generation of young people who treat others with respect and avoid violence and aggression. But as long as they do not have the staffing, resources and environment to meet the needs of their pupils, and the reasonable expectation of their teachers, the violence and frustration will only get worse.