Youths VIP

Violence stems from the existence of conflict which affects all facets of our daily lives. Schools, as part of the broader social fabric, experience the same problems as society in general, and are not exempt from violence and conflict.

Violent behaviour is a complex form of communication, as complex as social interaction itself. It is a symptom of a deeper and more invasive problem: the deterioration of our ability to live together in peace. In order to prevent violence from occurring, all parties involved in education must work together to seek out a variety of solutions to respond to the different conflicts that arise.

In our society, conflict is seen as negative, undesirable and difficult to countenance in educational settings. Collective efforts are consistently made to resolve or avoid conflict, without taking into account its evolutionary nature and ability to generate change.

As acts of violence begin to emerge in our classrooms, we must create an atmosphere which promotes cooperation and respect so that conflicts can be resolved, and everyone involved in the educational process must be involved.

The schools, the family, and social institutions cannot stand by idly when violence occurs in the schools. They must intervene to establish rules and attitudes which promote respect and a sense of community. In other words, as the Delors Report states, they must “learn how to exist, to learn, to act and to live together.”