Every month, news appears in the media about school violence, with beatings between students, attacks on teachers or, most seriously, attacks on police officers.
Promoting positive coexistence in schools has become a universal challenge that requires both local and global solutions, in a society in which social problems and new technologies impact the daily lives of adolescents.
In this context, the school community must not only be concerned about the knowledge they provide in the classrooms, but also provide tools that allow socio-emotional development and inclusion, training people prepared to face a challenging and changing world of work.
One of the most relevant aspects to implement a comprehensive approach is through programs on school coexistence, where we not only intervene in cases of conflict and aggression; but also, to create an educational culture where respect, empathy and reciprocal support are fundamental values that last over time. For this, the role of teachers and families plays a fundamental role.
Various countries have implemented projects that aim to improve the school climate and reduce problems of violence, harassment and discrimination. For example, in Canada, they work on mediation between students; Japan develops plans for emotional education and promotion of respect among peers from the earliest levels of schooling; and Finland has strengthened the prevention and reduction of bullying, focusing on community and student participation.
In Chile, the four schools of the Nocedal Foundation have been implementing quality technical education for almost three decades, in Puente Alto and La Pintana, areas of high social vulnerability, focused on providing knowledge that allows one to function in society and instill values that help to take the best decision in different aspects of life. They also work with a focus on empowering families as their children's first educators, thus promoting autonomy and strengthening support networks.
To reduce the levels of violence in the country's schools, it is essential to face this challenge comprehensively, joining efforts at the institutional, community and family levels. It is a challenge that involves all of us who live in society.
School violence is multi-causal, so deep and integrated work is required in schools, where it is necessary to systematically include it in the schools' training and academic plans.
Finally, schools and the educational community must be periodically trained to have conflict management tools and emotional education programs, which help students manage their emotions, frustrations, and resolve conflicts peacefully.
By Andrés Benitez Beas, clinical psychologist, Psychosocial Area coordinator, Nocedal Education Foundation
