April 16, 2026
Germany’s main teachers’ association has warned of a worrying increase in violence against school staff and called for immediate action to curb the trend.
Police figures show about 1,300 cases of bodily harm were recorded at schools in 2024, up from roughly 700 to 1,000 incidents per year in earlier years. Stefan Dull, president of the German Teachers’ Association (DL), said the incidents include a spectrum from verbal abuse and slander to outright physical attacks, and described the development as alarming.
Dull said insults and slander in school corridors have become noticeably more common and that violent behavior among pupils is rising. He said special education schools are particularly affected, but stressed that the problem is present across the entire school system.
The DL identified several contributing factors, including violence in the home, the influence of social media, and negative public role models. Dull also pointed to a wider societal shift toward aggression, noting similar patterns in areas such as sports and an increase in attacks on emergency workers and politicians.
To address the growing problem, the teachers’ association urged stronger responses from schools. Dull recommended increasing the number of social workers in schools and putting greater emphasis on relationship-building with students as key steps to prevent escalation and create safer learning environments.