Violence in schools: a world wide affair - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

UNESCO Courier, April, 2001 by Eric Debarbieux

ERIC DEBARBIEUX [1]

In all countries, schools are magnets for strife in society. Dealing with these tensions calls for extreme caution, for fear of making matters worse

Violence in schools is a worldwide problem: it exists in rich and poor countries alike. It's chiefly a male phenomenon, hitting a peak when boys turn 16 years old in some countries and 13 in others. Experts agree at least on one point: this violence cannot be pinned to a single cause. Instead, they point to complex patterns linked to family situations, socio-economic conditions and teaching methods.

Tackling segregation

But these are just indicators and do not justify any deterministic explanations. When researchers say that 10 to 20 percent of risk factors are linked to single parent families, this suggests that 80 to 90 percent of such families are not the source of any violence. A child from a black slum area with a teenage mother or a father in jail will not automatically be violent! Likewise, experts say there is a "hard core" of violent children--about five percent of the total. But in comparing several schools in similar problem French neighbourhoods, I've found that this figure can vary between one and 11 percent. The school itself can be an aggravating factor, through high staff turnover or "ghetto classes" to which poorly-performing students are relegated. These "hard core" groups, then, cannot be deemed "inalterable." On the contrary, something can be done about them.

Should they simply be expelled, as some advocate? Such a measure would only make their segregation and sense of exclusion worse. And they are, after all, at the root of the whole problem. The solution lies partly in developing customized projects, but most importantly, in strengthening economic and social participation.

To put an end to school violence, we need a well-established state with the means to compensate for inequalities, a state that tries to re-establish diversity in neighbourhoods and schools, one that does not give up on the notion of justice for children, as some are demanding.

Passing the torch

We should also try to lift schools out of their fortresses, so they do not become the symbol of a society that excludes people. Projects in the Netherlands, Brazil and the United States have shown that schools can be vibrant places that provide social, medical and cultural services to a neighbourhood.

In the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, for example, there is a vocational school where elderly craftsmen teach their skills to teenagers. Such contact between generations can offer a very valuable social education. "It takes a village to educate a child," goes an African proverb. Let's make an effort to seek out these opportunities, even in the most heartless cities.

(1.) Co-organizer with Catherine Blaya of the first International Conference on Violence in Schools and Public Policies, held at UNESCO headquarters from March 5-7, 2000.