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."
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