Agencies/London
A lack of boundaries at home is fuelling naughty behaviour in the classroom, teachers have warned.
Schools are being forced to deal with the fall-out of parents failing to set rules for their children and a breakdown in family life, according to the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).
A new survey, conducted by the union ahead of its conference, also suggests that behavioural and emotional problems, attention seeking and a dearth of positive role model are contributing to bad behaviour in schools.
Teachers have been forced to deal with youngsters - in some cases pre-schoolers - pushing, scratching, punching, kicking and spitting, the poll suggests.
More than half (53%) of the school staff questioned said student behaviour has worsened in the last 10 years, with a similar proportion (53.2%) indicating it has got worse in the past five years.
At the same time, there has been a rise in the numbers of children with emotional, behavioural or mental health problems, the survey suggests, with over half (55.5%) saying they have seen an increase in the last five years.
Many of the school staff questioned laid the blame for poor behaviour on parents.
Over three quarters (78.7%) said a lack of boundaries at home was the reason for challenging, disruptive and abusive behaviour by pupils. Just over two thirds (68.3%) blamed emotional problems, and the same proportion said it was down to behavioural issues.
Around six in 10 (63.9%) said it was caused by pupils trying to get attention from other students, 61.2% cited lack of role models at home, and 60.8% blamed family breakdowns.