When most people head off to work in the morning the possibility of being assaulted, threatened or subjected to aggressive and bullying behaviour is the last thing on their mind.
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21st century workplaces are meant to be safe environments in which individuals are respected and differences of opinion, when they do occur, are resolved through negotiation in a mature and timely manner.
The only legitimate exceptions might be in the case of front line troops in the armed forces and the police.
Given this, it is absolutely unacceptable that more than 40 per cent of Canberra school principals say they are at risk of violence, bullying and intimidation just for doing their jobs.
These claims, made in the latest "The Principal Health Report", are supported by reports the number of Canberra public school students involved in physical assaults exploded from 233 in 2012 to more than 2000 in 2017.
Canberra public school teachers were paid more than $6 million in compensation for physical and psychological injuries arising from assaults over the five years from 2012 to 2017.
A total of 328 claims were lodged for physical injuries and 42 claims were lodged for psychological injuries.
Almost 50 of the 679 school staff assaulted in 2015-2016 were principals.
Canberra is far from unique. National figures show that in 2016 44 per cent of school principals across the country had been threatened with violence.
Canberra, at 48.21 per cent, had the second worst result after the Northern Territory on 53.27 per cent.
Assaults are not just perpetrated by disgruntled students. There have been reports of attacks carried out by parents as well.
While it is tempting to suggest the Government should be doing more to protect principals and other school staff from such assaults that, by itself, will never stop the problem.
School communities are made up of three important groups: the educators, the students and the parents and guardians.
It is up to the latter group to accept responsibility for the values their offspring take into the classroom and onto the playground.
If parents don't support teachers and principals by showing them appropriate respect then it is highly unlikely their children ever will.
We seem to have lost sight of the fact teaching is a responsible and challenging profession usually performed by dedicated and highly competent individuals who want to make a difference.
Our schools are the workshops in which the future is being manufactured on a daily basis.
Knee jerk reactions ignore the fact real people, with real concerns and real safety issues, are the key to making it function.
If parents don't do their bit by teaching respect and restraint within the home then it will become harder and harder to recruit, and retain, the quality teachers this nation needs.
This is one problem where it is easy to be a part of the solution.
A logical first step is to become more involved in your school community.
