The Herald-Sun has published on article about the increase in violent incidents in Victorian schools over the last 3 years.
According to the article, “Assaults in Victorian schoolyards have tripled in three years and secret documents have revealed shocking rates of violence… About 17 students are physically or sexually assaulted or threatened by their classmates every school day in Victoria.”
The article goes on to reveal, “…there were at least 3419 incidents of student-on-student assaults across 858 government schools in 2024. Three quarters of incidences related to aggressive behaviour, with rates doubling since 2022 from 1092 incidents to 2212… Aggressive behaviour is defined as having an intent to cause harm through actions such as verbal abuse or threats, while violence is an extreme form of aggression aiming for intentional injury.”
Parents Victoria CEO Gail McHardy is quoted in the article. Here are Gail’s full comments on the issue, as supplied to the Herald-Sun:
Any incident involving harm between students is concerning, and every case must be taken seriously. These statistics need to be understood in context—rising numbers can reflect stronger reporting practices and increased awareness, not just a rise in behaviour itself.
Without broader context, including comparisons across other education sectors and the wider Victorian community, it is difficult to draw firm conclusions about trends in schools alone.
The first reaction is concern for student safety and wellbeing, alongside recognition of how complex these situations are.
Without broader context, the numbers risk being misinterpreted.
On what these statistics say about the state of Victoria’s public schools:
Not a simple picture of Victorian public schools becoming less safe, could be that they are dealing with increasingly complex student needs and are actively identifying and reporting incidents. That reflects strong compliance with safeguarding requirements.
On what needs to be done:
Reducing these incidents requires a shared effort. Schools play a critical role, but they cannot do it alone. Ongoing investment in early intervention, student wellbeing supports, and access to specialist services is essential, alongside strong partnerships with families and the broader community.
On the upward trend in violent incidents:
We know that schools don’t operate in isolation—student behaviour is often influenced by wider social, family and community factors. So it’s important to consider whether similar increases are being seen in other settings, including other education sectors and the community more broadly.
These situations are complex and often distressing for families. While there is always more to do—particularly in strengthening communication—it’s important the conversation remains balanced, and considers what’s happening across the wider community and other education sectors, not just public schools in isolation.
The Herald-Sun has published on article about the increase in violent incidents in Victorian schools over the last 3 years.
According to the article, “Assaults in Victorian schoolyards have tripled in three years and secret documents have revealed shocking rates of violence… About 17 students are physically or sexually assaulted or threatened by their classmates every school day in Victoria.”
The article goes on to reveal, “…there were at least 3419 incidents of student-on-student assaults across 858 government schools in 2024. Three quarters of incidences related to aggressive behaviour, with rates doubling since 2022 from 1092 incidents to 2212… Aggressive behaviour is defined as having an intent to cause harm through actions such as verbal abuse or threats, while violence is an extreme form of aggression aiming for intentional injury.”
Parents Victoria CEO Gail McHardy is quoted in the article. Here are Gail’s full comments on the issue, as supplied to the Herald-Sun:
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