Why Prevention, Not Just Response, Is the Key to Managing Work-Related Violence in Schools

The Victorian Department of Education has taken a meaningful step in acknowledging the rise in work-related violence from student behaviour, with a staggering 46.7% increase reported over the last decade. Following an audit, the Department has adopted four key recommendations aimed at better managing this risk in the workplace.

These recommendations, developed in consultation with WorkSafe Victoria, focus on improving reporting, data accuracy, post-incident reviews, and OHS policy compliance. They are a welcome start, particularly in a sector where underreporting and reactive measures have long overshadowed proactive prevention.

But while this audit is a win for awareness, there’s still a noticeable gap: risk management is not the same as risk prevention.

So, what is being done to prevent violent incidents?

Fortunately, some preventive measures are now being acknowledged:

• Reducing behavioural triggers in the school environment.

• Training staff to effectively manage and de-escalate challenging behaviours.

These are small but powerful steps that need to be scaled, systemised, and embedded into the DNA of school leadership frameworks, not treated as optional extras.

Behaviour researcher Deidre Duncan puts it simply:

“Prevention is better than cure, and schools need to develop a bullying-free culture.”

In other words, creating a safe learning and working environment isn’t just a teacher issue. It requires a whole-school community approach, including students, teachers, leaders, and parents.

Why Prevention, Not Just Response, Is the Key to Managing Work-Related Violence in Schools

It’s time for a cultural shift

The Department’s Respectful Workplaces Policy recognises the role of culture, collaboration, and systemic behaviour support. Now it’s time to turn recognition into action and that means:

• Embedding preventative risk controls, not just relying on response protocols.

• Giving staff the confidence and skills to intervene early.

• Aligning behaviour support frameworks with psychosocial risk obligations under WHS laws.

We urge all education departments nationally to follow Victoria’s lead and go further. Focus on prevention-led strategies that:

• Reduce the triggers of aggressive behaviour,

• Empower staff to intervene early and safely,

• And shift the burden from reacting to managing behaviour before it escalates.

Violence is not “part of the job.” It’s a sign the system needs support.

Our Services Support Schools To:

• Identify and remove behavioural triggers

• Meet WorkSafe and WHS obligations

• Deliver effective de-escalation training

• Create safer classrooms for staff and students

• Embed psychosocial risk controls into school procedures

Learn More

Why Prevention, Not Just Response, Is the Key to Managing Work-Related Violence in Schools