Violence and the education system

Violence within the education system has increasingly become regarded as a social problem around the world, and public concern is often centred on young people. However, international research suggests that there is conflicting evidence about the causes, nature, and impact of violence in schools. This chapter reviews some of the existing literature on school violence, and challenges some of the media-fuelled misconceptions. By drawing upon socio-criminological insights, it argues that violence may emerge where schools fail to provide young people with support and encouragement and to uphold their rights. By presenting evidence from a small qualitative research study in Glasgow (Scotland), the author illustrates that a rigid and authoritarian school ethos can produce social strains that ultimately lead to more violence. Implications for future policy and practice in schools are provided, as a means of preventing violence from occurring while also upholding young people’s social rights.