Incidents relating to the handling of offensive weapons in Scottish Schools: FOI release

Information requested

Information under the following sections:

1. National dataset by local authority

2. Incident categorisation / context

3. Injuries and outcomes

4. Data sources, definitions and guidance

5. Analysis or briefings

Response

For parts 1) and 2) above, a Section 17 exemption applies as the Scottish Government does not hold information on the total number of recorded violent or aggressive incidents in schools.

For part 3) above, a Section 17 exemption applies as the Scottish Government does not hold information required to answer this question. For information in relation to the number of incidents reported under RIDDOR, you may wish to Contact the Health and Safety Executive.

For part 4) above, some of the information you have requested are available (Fostering a positive, inclusive and Safe school environment, risk assessment and Respect for All). Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

You will need to contact individual local authorities in relation to details of the data collection system(s) used by them, and any standard coding or categorisation frameworks they use.

For part 5) above, the Scottish Government commissioned Scotcen to undertake the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR) in 2023. BISSR is a long running survey, beginning in 2006, which provides a robust and clear picture of relationships and behaviour in publicly-funded mainstream schools and of current policy and approaches for supporting relationships and behaviour. The research involved a quantitative survey (of headteachers, teachers and support staff) and in-depth qualitative research (with headteachers, teachers, support staff and local authority representatives). The report can be accessed here: Behaviour in Scottish schools: research report 2023 - gov.scot. The next BISSR study will be undertaken in 2026.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

The Recorded Crime Statistics: Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2024-25 - gov.scot is another source of information. I attach an excel workbook containing the number of police recorded crimes of possession of an offensive weapon in a school (used in other criminal activity) and having in a school an article with a blade or point (Used in other criminal activity) from year ending September 2020 to year ending September 2025 by local authority.

The Recorded Crime statistics are Accredited Official Statistics on crimes and offences recorded by the police in Scotland. These are derived from data held within the Source for Evidence Based Policing (SEBP), a data repository used and maintained by Police Scotland. Statistics on recorded crimes and offences provide a measure of the volume of criminal activity with which the police are faced. This does not reveal the incidence of all crime committed as not all crimes are reported to the police. A reference guide with explanatory notes regarding issues and clarifications which are crucial to the production and presentation of crimes statistics in Scotland is provided in the User Guide to Recorded Crime Statistics in Scotland.

Guidance on how crimes are recorded and counted is available in the Scottish Crime Recording Standard Crime Recording and Counting Rules manual. The most recent edition of the SCRS Crime Recording and Counting Rules published in 2025 is available at Scottish crime recording standard: crime recording and counting rules. These are overseen, approved, maintained and developed by the Scottish Crime Recording Board (SCRB). 

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested because the data the Scottish Government receives from Police Scotland is a simple count of the number and type of crimes and offences recorded. We do not in general hold further details regarding whether crimes or offences occurred within a school, except those types of crimes that specifically reference that the location of the crime is within a school. There are four such crime types:

• Possession of an offensive weapon in a school (Not used in other criminal activity)
• Possession of an offensive weapon in a school (Used in other criminal activity)
• Having in a school an article with a blade or point (Not used in other criminal activity)
• Having in a school an article with a blade or point (Used in other criminal activity)

We do not hold further details regarding school sector/type, age or year group of accused, the role of the victim(s) or accused in schools (such as pupil, staff member, or other individual), descriptions of incidents, whether the incident involved a child or young person recorded as having Additional Support Needs, the response to the incident, injuries incurred as a result of incidents, or the number of incidents reported under health and safety reporting frameworks.

I also attach an email produced by the Scottish Government that summarises some information in relation to violent or aggressive incidents in schools.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section 38(1)(b) (personal information)] of FOISA applies to that information. The personal information of Scottish Government officials below Senior Civil Service grades have been redacted.

Finally, you may also wish to note that teacher unions in Scotland survey members regularly on a range of issues, including their experiences regarding behaviour. Surveys are routinely published on union websites. While such surveys do not constitute a record of incidents they may provide helpful information as to the views of responding members.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202500491924 - Information released - Annex A

File type

PDF

File size

134.1 kB

FOI 202500491924 - Information released - Annex B

File type

Excel document

File size

15.8 kB