Concerns about behaviour in Scottish schools have been raised with first minister John Swinney after the Scottish Liberal Democrats shared new data recording violent incidents.
Some 24,387 violent incidents have been reported in schools so far this academic year, according to .
The Party said that this compared with a “record-breaking” 40,382 violent incidents for the entirety of 2023-24.
At First Minister’s Questions today, Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Since the launch of the Netflix drama Adolescence, everybody is talking about the challenges young people face: violence in school, the rise of toxic misogynists like Andrew Tate, online bullying.
“It isn’t just a drama, it’s happening here and now in Scotland, too.”
The Scottish government published its in August.
Mr Cole-Hamilton said that, while the plan “aimed to make pupils and staff feel safe and supported”, the data uncovered by his party suggested that the number of violent incidents in schools was “matching the trajectory of the record-breaking 40,000 reports of school violence recorded last year”.
‘Pupils shouldn’t go to school afraid’
He added: “Pupils shouldn’t be going to school afraid. Teachers deserve to know this government has their back.”
He asked Mr Swinney if “pupils and staff feel any safer or more supported” and what action would be taken to “combat violence in schools”.
In his response to Mr Cole-Hamilton, the first minister acknowledged the impact of Adolescence and also praised the “significant contributions to the debate” stemming from a lecture by former England football manager ”.
Mr Swinney said that the discussion around Adolescence was “absolutely necessary”, given the “unacceptable behaviour of some supposed influencers who are influencing very poor behaviour among particularly young men in our society today”.
The first minister said that he was open to suggestions on “further practical measures beyond what the government has already announced” on how to make schools safer.
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