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How and when to stop a meeting due to violent or threatening behaviour

You should never be expected to tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour from parents or carers. Find out when you can stop a meeting or interaction that has become unsafe, what your legal standing is, and how to end the meeting professionally.

Last reviewed on 3 October 2025
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 45835
Contents
  1. Your school has a duty of care towards its employees and governors
  2. You have a legal right to stop a meeting and remove individuals
  3. Identify behaviour that justifies stopping a meeting
  4. End the meeting safely and professionally
  5. What to do after you stop a meeting

Your school has a duty of care towards its employees and governors

This means that staff members, including the headteacher and governors, should not be placed in dangerous or upsetting situations. You shouldn't be expected to attend meetings where parents or carers are behaving aggressively, or to respond to abusive communications.

To support this, your school should have clear policies in place, such as a parent/carer code of conduct or a policy on dealing with abusive visitors. These should clearly state that meetings will be stopped or cancelled if a parent or carer does not adhere to the expected code of conduct.

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