- guardian.co.uk, Monday May 21 2007 15.17 BST
Some 42% of children have been kicked, punched or hit at school, according to the results of a survey carried out by the children's charity the NSPCC, published today.
Just under 10% of pupils said the attack involved a weapon or other object at school and 22% admitted they go to school worried that they might be subjected to a similar violent attack while there, it revealed.
The snapshot survey of 1,172 children aged between 11 and 16 also highlighted the extent to which bullying goes on at school, with 75% admitting they have been bullied.
The NSPCC is using the results of its survey to urge the chancellor, Gordon Brown, to tackle violence against children as a priority when he becomes prime minister.
The charity's chief executive, Dame Mary Marsh, said: "Children should not have to accept violence as part of growing up. Much of it could be stopped if governments across the UK took action."
The survey also revealed that one in six young people did nothing the last time they witnessed a violent incident in school because they did not know what to do.
Around a third of the pupils questioned admitted they found it difficult to talk to anybody about violence and 28% thought lessons about how to stay safe were a good idea. The same number also wanted specialist anti-bullying counsellors to be available in school to help them.
The survey also revealed the extent of violence faced by children outside the school gates.
One in four of the young people revealed they had witnessed domestic violence - 47% of these cases involved a physical assault or the use of a weapon. In 32% of incidents the perpetrator of the attack had been drinking or taking drugs, the young people said.
The children were also exposed to violence on the streets - 16% of them revealed they had been hit, punched or kicked on the street and 7% of the attacks involved a weapon or object.
The survey of 609 boys and 554 girls at 23 secondary schools across the UK took place between February 28 and April 17 this year.
