A worrying 76 per cent of Fife teachers who took part in a survey said the culture in their school is that poor pupil behaviour is 'part of the job' and they should expect to receive abuse and violence.

The analysis from the NASUWT union paint a terrifying picture where staff are regularly sworn and spat at, with a significant number reporting they have been punched, kicked and head-butted over the past 12 months.

Scottish official for the teaching union, Mike Corbett, met with Fife Council to discuss the results and said: "Our members want the best for all of the kids in front of them.

"It's always the silent majority who are being disrupted by the same small core who seem to be getting away with doing what they like.

READ MORE: Union calls for 'zero tolerance' towards violence in Fife schools

"That's what really bothers teachers, that it's disrupting the education of so many others."

The survey was completed by 358 members of the union in Scotland, and of these 62 teachers were in Fife.

Dunfermline Press: A union official said teachers are on the verge of quitting the profession due to violence and verbal abuse in the classroom.A union official said teachers are on the verge of quitting the profession due to violence and verbal abuse in the classroom. (Image: Newsquest)

Although a relatively small sample, it gives an insight into what they're dealing with as 45 per cent said they had experienced physical attacks, violence and verbal abuse from pupils in the last 12 months, higher than the Scottish average.

Backchat and rudeness were the most common, and almost all (95 per cent) said they had been sworn at.

Sixteen per cent had been punched or hit, 11 per cent have been kicked, 47 per cent shoved or barged and five per cent have been head-butted.

Fifteen per cent of Fife teachers said it turns violent 'several times per week' with 25 per cent saying verbal abuse is a daily occurrence.

READ MORE: Fife MSP says teachers are being 'bitten and punched' 

The survey said it's impacted on their morale and enthusiasm for the job, led to high levels of anxiety and stress and contributed to depression, with more than half saying they were seriously considering leaving the profession.

Just 39 per cent of Fife teachers said they reported every incident, the most common reason for not doing so was they didn't think anything would be done about it.

Very few felt incidents that had been reported were all dealt with appropriately.

Mr Corbett said: "If someone steps out of line they're using a restorative behaviour approach. It's low level, speak to the kid so they understand what they've done wrong and how their actions are impacting on others. That's fine.

"But what tends to happen in some schools, including in Fife, that's been seen as the only game in town.

"Our members tell us some of these restorative conversations about the same issue with the same pupil are happening seven, eight, nine, 10 times.

"They're saying 'This kid is clearly not listening to me' but there's a lack of desire and support from senior management to get involved and bring about more serious consequences."

Teachers who responded to the survey said there was a lack of consequences for pupils’ inappropriate behaviour, no clear policies and procedures to deter unacceptable behaviour, a lack of support from senior management and the restorative behaviour approach was "ineffective".

There was also a perception that national guidance had made excluding pupils "impossible".

Many of the teachers said pupils with behavioural issues should be moved into specialist provision that better meets their needs and called for more support from parents, carers and school leaders.

They said there was little or no support in class for pupils with additional support needs and too many children were being distracted by mobile phones and social media, with some copying unacceptable behaviour they had seen online.

A letter in September to parents and carers, sent by Maria Lloyd, head of education for secondary schools and specialist support, highlighted the influence social media has on children and said some are "receiving in excess of 300" messages a day via snapchat or other platforms.

She also gave advice on how to stay safe online and warned of the dangers to pupils from cyberbullying, stalking, unwanted contact (from friends or others) or becoming a target.