Table of Contents

Introduction..................................................................................................................................3
Types of school violence..........................................................................................................3
Causes of school violence........................................................................................................4
Consequences of school violence.............................................................................................5
How to prevent school violence?..............................................................................................6
Conclusion...............................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
Violence is today one of society's main concerns. It affects people's lives and physical
integrity. It is a product of development models that have their roots in history.

The definition of violence is necessary for a better understanding of school violence. It

is a transgression of the order and rules of life in society. It is a direct physical attack
against a person whose life, health, physical integrity, or individual freedom are
endangered by the actions of others. In this sense, Aida Monteiro expresses, "we
understand violence as the absence and disrespect for the rights of others."

This work aims to deepen and broaden knowledge about violence in the school
environment, as well as the reasons for its existence and the consequences for those
involved.

In the study conducted by the author in a school, the aim was to understand the
conception of violence focus on teaching staff and students of the institution.

However, in this article I will talk about types of school violence, the causes of school
violence, consequences, types of school violence, and how to prevent it.

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Types of school violence
The types of violence suffered in schools are: verbal, physical, psychological, sexual,
bullying, possession of drugs, weapons or firearms, gender violence, disrespect, theft,
humiliation, mockery, threats, racism and discrimination.

- Physical violence: includes acts such as pushing, hitting and kicking, and may even
result in murder.

- Psychological/moral violence: includes insults, offences, threats, discrimination,

humiliation and social exclusion.

- Sexual violence: includes violent acts of a sexual nature, such as such as harassment,
and rape.

- Property violence: involves acts such as theft, robbery, destruction of property,

vandalism and depredation.

- Negligence: consists of omission, lack of care and failure to fulfil duties and
obligations.

- Bullying: violent acts practised in a repetitively by one or more individuals against one
or more members of the members of the school community.

- Cyberbullying: type of bullying practised in the virtual environment (social networks,

Apps, e-mail) that aims to embarrass, humiliate, frighten and infuriate victims.

- Violent hazing: abusive acts generally practised by veterans against freshmen, under
the pretext of promoting the integration of students.

- Self-inflicted violence: it is subdivided into suicidal behaviour and self-abuse.

- Interpersonal violence: this is divided into two categories: in the family or by na

intimate partner (usually in the home) and in the community (between people who are
not related and who may or may not know each other (usually outside the home).

- Collective violence: this is divided into social, political and economic.

Causes of school violence

Violence at school is a problem that is increasingly affecting our society. Unfortunately,
this reality has become increasingly common and can have serious consequences for

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students' education and the school environment as a whole. It is therefore necessary to
understand the causes of this phenomenon in order to combat it effectively, and it is
important to emphasise that there is no single solution to this problem. Among the most
common causes, we can highlight the lack of investment in education, social inequality,
the poor physical structure of schools, the lack of public safety, bullying and
cyberbullying, drug use, the influence of the media and the absence of ethical and moral
values.

The lack of investment in education is one of the main causes of violence at school, as it
is reflected in the lack of resources to improve the physical structures of schools and to
train teachers. This can create na environment of demotivation and disrespect, which
can culminate in violent acts.

Social inequality is also an important cause of violence at school, since the lack of
opportunities and access to quality education can generate a feeling of revolt and
exclusion. This can lead students to adopt aggressive behaviour and look for ways to
stand out, often resorting to violence.

Bullying and cyberbullying are forms of violence that have gained prominence in recent
years, mainly through social networks. These forms of aggression can affect students’
self-esteem and generate trauma that can accompany them throughout their lives.

Drug use is another factor that contributes to violence at school, as it can generate
aggressive and uncontrolled behaviour in students. In addition, the influence of the
media can also be a cause of violence at school, since many students are exposed to
violent content that can influence them.

The pursuit of popularity or social status, the reinforcement of group identity (and
consequent exclusion of those who are not part of the group) and the assertion of power
are some of the reasons that can motivate a perpetrator of bullying.

Finally, the lack of ethical and moral values can be one of the main causes of violence at
school. A lack of respect and empathy for others can lead to aggressive and
disrespectful behaviour, which can affect not only the school environment, but also
society as a whole.

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Consequences of school violence
The most frequent consequences of violence in schools involved bullying, verbal
aggression, physical aggression and vandalism. This creates na atmosphere of fear and
vulnerability for both teachers and students. Victims in this index are prone to
developing serious health problems (both physical and mental), truancy and negative
teaching and learning are some of the problems that can result from violence. It can be
seen that many young people are victims or agents of violence, but even those who were
not directly involved reported countless cases that they learnt about or witnessed at
school. This proximity contributes to trivialising violent behaviour. The gratuitousness
of violence for them. It’s a reality, and fear is common in their speeches.

Hostility is often stimulated by living in violent environments. Students absorb the

atmosphere there and the only way they can express themselves is through aggression,
offences and humiliation against classmates, teachers and staff. For Bourdieu (2002),
students only reproduce violence, they don't learn it, because in order to learn you have
to make room for questioning, which doesn't happen.

The negligence of parents or guardians also has na influence on the student’s behaviour,
since the family is the basis of education, and if it doesn’t act in parallel with the
educational institution, the student understands that their actions have no real
consequences. Parents transfer the responsibility of educating and caring for the
individual to the school, taking away the obligation to train a citizen to be part of
society.

When external situations occur in which the student has been victimised, there is a good
chance that he or she will become the aggressor at the next opportunity, causing the
same suffering that has been inflicted on him or her. In any case, everything affects the
student’s development on a large scale.

Other consequences are possible indiscipline and incivility, which are not only present
in the school environment, but in society as a whole, so that education professionals and
the educational institution itself no longer have control over student behaviour. Even
with the imposition of rules and punishments, these acts lead to more violence. In this
way, actions that attack the law through force and threats are harmful to the physical
and psychological health of all those subjected to them.

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How to prevent school violence?
Public health interventions are traditionally characterised in terms of three levels of
prevention:

- Primary prevention – approaches aimed at preventing violence before it occurs.

- Secondary prevention – approaches that focus on immediate responses to violence,

such as pre-hospital care, emergency services or treatment for sexually transmitted
diseases resulting from a rape.

- Tertiary prevention – approaches that focus on long-term care in the face of

violence, such as rehabilitation and reintegration and attempts to diminish trauma and
reduce long-term disabilities associated with violence.

- Keep open dialogue with students: The school needs to be recognised by

students and their families as a safe social environment, so always keep communication
channels open with students and their families. This habit helps build a bond of trust
between you. After all, when students and their families feel safe and welcome in the
school environment, they’ll feel more comfortable seeking help if there are any
problems. If your child has low self-esteem or doesn’t like going to school, be aware
that they may be the victim of some kind of violence. In these cases, they don’t always
feel safe to open up to their family, let alone their teachers.

- Ally yourself with families: Observing whether children have any strange marks
on their bodies is also fundamental to identifying the occurrence of physical violence.

Permanent monitoring and cooperation between family and school are essential aspects
for preventing undesirable behaviour and extinguishing situations of violence at school.

- Seek awareness: If you notice that episodes of violence have been occurring in your
school, it might be a good idea to invite a specialised professional to help you identify
the motivations, discuss the actions and act in search of solutions.

When the school encourages dialogue around this issue, it helps to develop a critical
sense in its students and gains strength in the sense of valuing respect, solidarity and
coexistence between human beings who come to school with very different
backgrounds, histories, baggage and limitations.

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Collective approaches, such as showing films and promoting debates among students,
are important strategies for raising awareness among students and encouraging them to
tackle the problem. Lectures on the subject also contribute in this direction. Collective
awareness is na important step on the road to prevention.

- Discuss ideas: The more effective participation of the family in the school context,
bringing them closer to their children, encouraging the school to better prepare its
teaching staff and employees so that they are dedicated to promoting attitudes of
tolerance and respect among students, are all measures that significantly help to combat
violence at school, encouraging a healthier coexistence between social groups.

If security devices need to be installed, for example, the school can provide them. On
the other hand, it’s also important to realise that this measure alone won’t solve the
problem. It only works if it is combined with awareness-raising actions.

- Set standards and publicise them: Another way of dealing with violence at school
from a prevention perspective is to establish rules of coexistence that encourage respect
between people.

It’s important to adopt a stance of dialogue and speak the students’ language. They need
to feel heard, understood and part of the process. But the whole school needs to be
mobilised, so the rules must be clear and within everyone’s reach.

Dissemination in digital or printed media should ensure that students, families, teachers
and school staff know and practise them. With this care, the school community will be
more attentive and prepared when faced with behaviour that is considered inappropriate
or disrespectful.

- Promote interaction activities: Everyday school life is one of the first models of
society that a person experiences. In this sense, it is the school’s duty to create na
environment that has representations of the social aspects that children will experience
in the “outside” world.

In other words, for students to learn to live in society, the school needs to encourage
them to interact and relate in environments that are not necessarily linked to the
classroom.

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- Encourage students to express themselves: Just as important as creating
opportunities for interaction between students is encouraging them to express their
feelings within the school environment. To do this, the school can provide spaces and
activities that promote debates and forms of cultural expression.

In this sense, the institution can encourage the creation of theatre or dance groups,
reading or cinema clubs, literary soirees; help students to create newspapers, blogs and
radio programmes; offer circus classes and group sports, among others.

As well as teaching children and teenagers to feel more comfortable dealing with their
problems in a more sensitive way, arts and sports have great results because they
occupy free time with productive activities that can satisfy them emotionally.

- Influencing personal relationships and working to create healthy family environments,

as well as offering professional help and support for dysfunctional families.

- Monitor public places such as schools, workplaces and neighbourhoods and take
action to deal with problems that could lead to violence.

- Act on the wider cultural, social and economic factors that contribute to violence and
act to change them, including measures to reduce the gap between rich and poor and to
ensure equal access to goods, services and opportunities.

Conclusion
In conclusion, effective measures must be taken to combat violence at school. It is
essential to invest in the education and training of students, promoting values such as
empathy, solidarity and respect. It is also important to create public policies that
guarantee safety in schools and combat bullying and cyberbullying. Only in this way
will it be possible to build a healthy and safe school environment that enables the
formation of aware and responsible citizens.

In order to minimise the impact of violence in the school environment, activities and
projects involving visual arts, music, dance, theatre, sport and leisure are proposed, with
the aim of bringing art education to the institution, with strategies for students to
participate in the educational field and achieve integral development.