Over 30 per cent of respondents to a survey by the union Unison said they had experienced verbal abuse at school, while 17.5 per cent claimed to have been the victims of violence.
The union said the findings demonstrated the need for better training to help teaching assistants cope with violence at work.
Christina McAnea, head of education at Unison, said: "Teaching assistants work long hours, often on low pay. It is shameful they should also be expected to put themselves at risk of being attacked or abused."
The survey questioned 535 teaching assistants across the UK. Around seven per cent said they had experienced violence that required medical attention, while 14 per cent said they were the victims of bullying.
Unison was due to meet this week with local government officials to discuss a possible pay increase for teaching assistants.
McAnea said: "It is time that the hard work, long hours and commitment that teaching assistants put into their jobs was recognised with higher pay."
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
