Violence in schools: causes, consequences and solutions
Kelly Baptista
Over the past 12 years, at least 52 people have died in
attacks at Brazilian institutions.
By Kelly Baptista, executive director of Fundação 1Bi
(Image: Mídia Ninja reproduction – Gabriela Nogueira)
Violence in schools is a problem affecting many countries, including Brazil, where the frequency of attacks increased over the past year, with five fatal attacks recorded from September 2022 through April 2023. Considering cases from the past 12 years, at least 52 people have died in attacks at Brazilian institutions.
These problems can have a significant impact on students’ well-being and the quality of the education they receive. It is important for schools, communities, and the government to work together to create a safe and welcoming environment for all students.
Currently, on average, less than 2% of public health budgets are allocated to mental health globally, and the situation is even worse in low- and middle-income countries, where less than two dollars is spent per capita on the treatment and prevention of mental disorders, compared with an investment of 50 dollars per capita in high-income countries.
If we consider health to be the greatest resource for social, economic, and personal development, caring for our children in the school environment and promoting mental health will enable them to contribute to the country’s economy in the future. Here, I am not talking only about specific actions during particular months, or simply about expanding access to health services, but rather about providing care, training, and engaging professionals to work in school environments, take a careful and empathetic look at students in their communities, identify needs, and seek ways to respond.
We need to recognize that, in discussions about mental health, topics involving other needs of the school community must also be considered, such as health, food, housing, education, work, income, basic sanitation, and others, since the combination of all these factors affects the community.
Mental health in Brazil, particularly within the school community, was already a neglected issue even before the pandemic. However, the impact of the isolation and fear caused by the coronavirus tends to further increase the substantial rise in depression and anxiety disorders.
The profile of the attacks
Most attacks are carried out with firearms, which became more accessible after rules were relaxed in 2019. In six out of every ten cases, the perpetrators already had the firearms used in the attacks, as they belonged to family members living in the same household. In 40% of incidents, the weapons belonged to a security officer, and in 20% they were stolen from the owner and resold or sold directly by the owner.
To date, all cases in Brazil have been committed by boys or men, acting alone, with an average age of 16, who were students or former students of the school targeted in the attack and who, for the most part, targeted people with whom they had some connection.
How can this be tackled?
It is essential for school management to focus on training its teaching staff to deal with school violence. Listening and encouraging dialogue are important initial steps in creating a support network and combating violence.
Initiate specialized training programs at the government level for teams that monitor social networks and have risk-analysis capabilities for preventive action;
Create specific mental health programs for students, considering approaches and mediation, with trained professionals who can address issues such as bullying. We cannot overburden teachers or other professionals working in schools with this additional responsibility;
Review the facilitation of access to firearms for adolescents, improve oversight of purchases and registrations, and punish people who facilitate such access;
Create initiatives and punish people who spread fake news or other messages in order to prevent panic in the school community.
It is important to emphasize that schools should be safe and welcoming places for our students and teachers, where children and young people can develop without fear of violence. This dialogue needs to be expanded so that we can truly have a safe and empathetic society.
