School violence

Abstract

In contemporary societies, a multiplicity of actions has been taken in different areas and sectors under the responsibility of a wide range of actors on different scales, in order to prevent, attend and eliminate school violence. Since the serious effect of this problem, not only among the individuals and institutions directly involved, but also for the strengthening of democracy and the full exercise of human rights, combating violence in schools is an urgent task. Despite of the massive deployment of intervention strategies, the numerous studies carried out in different academic fields and their inclusion on policy agenda, the implications that these strategies have on the principles of authority, legality and legitimacy in schools has barely been analyzed. This task is essential, given that many of the paths outlined currently to address school violence –such as the creation and application of specific laws, the redesign of national agreements, the guidelines for the education system, the manuals for school coexistence, among other instruments– have affected these principles and have ignored the results and implications that they have in the conformation, reproduction and even perpetuation of this problem.