School-Based Violence Prevention

School is one of the most important socializing environments for children, since it is where they spend a great deal of time interacting with teachers and peers. However, the persistent spillover of community socioeconomic conditions and violence means that schools and their surroundings are no longer protected places, but share in the day-to-day violence of the urban space. As a result, school violence has increased correspondingly. Although students may handle situations at school through violent behaviors, schools remain a place where they can learn not to make use of such behaviors. What can educators, policymakers, and civil society do to revert or reduce violence in schools? How can schools use their unique potential as a locus for violence prevention? This technical note attempts to shed light on these issues by describing approaches that have proven successful in addressing this problem.