Dawn French, Assault in Scottish schools, BBC's Two Weeks in August

In a powerful episode of Woman's Hour, Dawn French confronts the taboo of death with her new novel *Enough*, a darkly comic yet deeply moving exploration of a 68-year-old woman’s decision to end her life on her own terms to spare her family the 'messy' final chapter. French, drawing from personal grief over her father’s suicide, frames the story not as a cry for help but as an act of radical self-determination — a 'living suicide note' where the protagonist gives her family 24 hours to dissuade her. The episode sparks urgent debate: does autonomy over one’s death belong solely to the individual, or does parenthood create a moral contract? French’s own mother, who felt purposeless after retirement, echoes the novel’s central theme of existential loneliness — a crisis many older women face when their roles dissolve. Meanwhile, a BBC investigation reveals a 55% surge in assaults on Scottish school staff in just two years, with 35,000 incidents reported. Teachers and support staff describe being flung onto concrete floors, hospitalized, and traumatized — often left alone with violent pupils. Union leaders and educators blame the crisis on underfunded schools, increased student needs post-COVID, and a lack of mental health support, calling the current behavior plans 'empty promises.