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Social Sciences
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Revisiting School Violence: Safety for Children in Schools
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Revisiting School Violence: Safety for Children in Schools

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This special issue belongs to the section "Childhood and Youth Studies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 8778

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Guadalupe Francia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Educational Sciences, University of Gävle, Gävle 801 76, Sweden
Interests: child rights; equity policy and practice; school violence; bullying and cyberbullying; gender-based violence; policy research
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

School violence is a globally widespread phenomenon that threatens the well-being of children, as well as the development of sustainable learning environments at schools and preschools. The exposure of violence during childhood risks resulting in social, physical and mental health problems, even later in life.

In 2021, UNICEF (2021) raised the alarm that some 150 million children aged between 13 and 15 years reported peer-to-peer violence in and around school. Furthermore, 1 in 3 students in this age group experience bullying. In addition, around 720 million school-aged children live in countries lacking fully law protection from corporal punishment at school.

Moreover, children are the victims of various forms of violence in armed conflicts around the world. These conflicts result in the destruction of education systems and the deterioration of educational learning environments, seriously threating the well-being and health of both children and school staff.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to provide a platform for theoretical and empirical research studies analyzing and critically discussing school violence as well policies and practices to guarantee children’s safety at schools and preschools. Papers from a wide range of disciplines are welcome, as well as contributions that are cross-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary.

Reference

UNICEF. 2021. Protecting children from violence in school. https://www.unicef.org/protection/violence-against-children-in-school (accessed on 29 May 2024)

Prof. Dr. Guadalupe Francia
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Social Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • school violence
  • physical violence
  • psychological violence
  • gender-based violence
  • bullying
  • cyberbullying
  • children in armed conflicts
  • child protection
  • anti-bullying strategies
  • children’s rights

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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612 KB  
Article
How Classroom Composition and Size Shape Adolescent School Victimization: Insights from a Doubly Latent Multilevel Analysis of Population Data
by Elisa Cavicchiolo, Giulia Raimondi, Laura Girelli, Michele Zacchilli, James Dawe, Ines Di Leo, Pierluigi Diotaiuti, Tommaso Palombi, Andrea Chirico, Fabio Lucidi, Fabio Alivernini and Sara Manganelli
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(10), 573; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14100573 (registering DOI) - 24 Sep 2025
Abstract
Adolescent school victimization is a socially regulated experience, making it important to consider classroom-level compositional effects beyond individual characteristics. This study investigated the role of classroom characteristics, specifically, classroom socioeconomic status, average academic achievement, sex composition, immigrant density, and class size, in shaping [...] Read more.
Adolescent school victimization is a socially regulated experience, making it important to consider classroom-level compositional effects beyond individual characteristics. This study investigated the role of classroom characteristics, specifically, classroom socioeconomic status, average academic achievement, sex composition, immigrant density, and class size, in shaping students’ experiences of school victimization. Victimization was analyzed using a doubly latent multilevel modeling approach, which accounts for measurement error at both individual and classroom levels. The analyses drew on the entire Italian 10th grade student population (N = 254,177; Mage = 15.58 years; SDage = 0.74) and a considerable number of classrooms (N classrooms = 14,278), a sample size rarely available in the social sciences. Results indicated that classroom characteristics played a significant role in victimization, beyond individual-level variables. The most important factors were sex and prior academic achievement: classrooms with a higher proportion of male students experienced greater victimization, whereas higher average achievement was associated with lower victimization. A greater proportion of second-generation immigrant students, but not first-generation students, was also associated with increased victimization. By contrast, classroom socioeconomic status and class size were not significant predictors of victimization. In conclusion, these findings highlight the importance of considering the additional influence of the classroom context for school-based interventions, particularly the composition of classrooms in terms of sex and academic achievement, when addressing student victimization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Revisiting School Violence: Safety for Children in Schools)
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16 pages, 298 KB  
Article
Public Discourse of the Chilean Ministry of Education on School Violence and Convivencia Escolar: A Subjective Theories Approach
by Pablo J. Castro-Carrasco, Verónica Gubbins, Vladimir Caamaño, Ingrid González-Palta, Fabiana Rodríguez-Pastene Vicencio, Martina Zelaya and Claudia Carrasco-Aguilar
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(9), 539; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14090539 - 6 Sep 2025
Viewed by 540
Abstract
This study analyzed subjective theories on school violence and convivencia escolar expressed in the public discourse of the Chilean Ministry of Education in 2022. This research focused on the return to in-person learning, a time when concerns about violence in schools increased and [...] Read more.
This study analyzed subjective theories on school violence and convivencia escolar expressed in the public discourse of the Chilean Ministry of Education in 2022. This research focused on the return to in-person learning, a time when concerns about violence in schools increased and public policies aimed at addressing it were launched. Inductive content analysis and grounded theory techniques were used to examine 66 tweets issued by official ministry accounts during 2022. The analysis identified three interpretative sets. The first suggests that although violence has external structural causes, it must be eradicated from schools. The second links convivencia escolar with well-being and socioemotional skills, but without an explicit association with violence. The third locates the origin of psychological distress in external factors but assigns its management to the school system. A predominance of expert knowledge existed in the promoted solutions. These findings are discussed based on the idea that the Ministry of Education’s discourse on Twitter not only informs but also seeks to shape educational common sense and validate public policies. This raises questions about its impact on the interpretive autonomy of school communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Revisiting School Violence: Safety for Children in Schools)
25 pages, 358 KB  
Article
The Rights to and Within Education in Armed Conflicts: The Case of Gaza 2023–2025
by Guadalupe Francia and Tabisa Arlet Verdejo Valenzuela
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(9), 524; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14090524 - 30 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1147
Abstract
The systematic attacks against the civilian population in Gaza, including educational institutions, constitute war crimes that violate the right to education and affect not only children but also an entire culture’s ability to recover post-conflict and maintain its identity. This document review analysed [...] Read more.
The systematic attacks against the civilian population in Gaza, including educational institutions, constitute war crimes that violate the right to education and affect not only children but also an entire culture’s ability to recover post-conflict and maintain its identity. This document review analysed the reports issued by Nations agencies to identify the types of violence that occur in educational contexts, the victims of such violence, the impact on the rights to and within education, and the educational measures implemented in response. A thematic analysis guided by Karma Nabulsi’s concept of “scholasticide”, Rita Segato’s “pedagogy of cruelty”, and Sara Ahmed’s “witness” was conducted. The findings reveal that the attacks on educational spaces can be interpreted as ideological strategies against the Palestinian culture due to their critical role in cultural resilience and the recovery of the Palestinian people. The reports highlight significant limitations in recognising education as a priority dimension within the framework of international humanitarian aid. Finally, the analysed documents show that children in Gaza experience feelings of abandonment based on the inaction of the international community to guarantee their right to be free from all kinds of violence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Revisiting School Violence: Safety for Children in Schools)
17 pages, 866 KB  
Article
The European Union’s Response to Bullying and Cyberbullying: An Educational Policy Analysis
by Adrián Neubauer and Abel Gonzalez-Garcia
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(8), 505; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14080505 - 21 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1568
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to analyze the European Union’s response to school bullying and cyberbullying through its educational policies. For this purpose, a search of European policies was carried out in EUR-Lex, including all dates, to get a complete picture of [...] Read more.
The objective of this paper is to analyze the European Union’s response to school bullying and cyberbullying through its educational policies. For this purpose, a search of European policies was carried out in EUR-Lex, including all dates, to get a complete picture of this phenomenon. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 policies were selected. These were analyzed, according to Content and Documentary Analysis, using MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2024 through a codebook composed of two dimensions: one legal and one specific to bullying and cyberbullying. The results showed that most of these policies are soft policies, especially recommendations, issued by the Council of the European Union. At the same time, there is an interest on the part of the European Union to prevent bullying by addressing the contextual and cultural risk factors and improving teacher training and emotional education. In conclusion, European policies have a largely technological, preventive, and contextual and cultural approach. Finally, this paper also offers some policy recommendations to prevent school bullying and cyberbullying in political terms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Revisiting School Violence: Safety for Children in Schools)
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27 pages, 666 KB  
Article
The Culture of Romance as a Factor Associated with Gender Violence in Adolescence
by Mar Venegas, José Luis Paniza-Prados, Francisco Romero-Valiente and Teresa Fernández-Langa
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(8), 460; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14080460 - 25 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1590
Abstract
Despite extensive prevention strategies in Spain since the 1980s, gender-based violence, including among adolescents, remains prevalent, as observed in the Romance SUCC-ED Project (R&D&I Operating Programme ERDF Andalusia 2014–2020). This research study investigates the dimensions, meanings, relationships, and practices shaping the culture of [...] Read more.
Despite extensive prevention strategies in Spain since the 1980s, gender-based violence, including among adolescents, remains prevalent, as observed in the Romance SUCC-ED Project (R&D&I Operating Programme ERDF Andalusia 2014–2020). This research study investigates the dimensions, meanings, relationships, and practices shaping the culture of romance in digital Andalusian adolescence (12–16 years) and its potential impact on school trajectories in Compulsory Secondary Education. Based on the premise that equality-focused relationship education is key to preventing gender violence, the study employs an ethnographic methodology with 12 Andalusian school case studies (4 out of them are located in rural areas) and 220 in-depth interviews (126 girls, 57.3%; 94 boys, 42.7%). This article aims to empirically explain gender violence in early adolescence by analysing the culture of romance as an explanatory factor. Findings reveal an interconnected model where dimensions (love, couple, sexuality, pornography, social networks, and cultural references), meanings (constructed by adolescents within each of them), relationships (partner), and practices (control and jealousy) reinforce romanticised femininity and dominant masculinity, thus explaining the high incidence of gender-based violence among students in the study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Revisiting School Violence: Safety for Children in Schools)
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18 pages, 738 KB  
Article
Bullying and Social Exclusion of Students with Special Educational Needs in Primary Education Schools
by Álvaro Carmona and Manuel Montanero
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(7), 430; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14070430 - 13 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1060
Abstract
Children’s safety, well-being and inclusion in the school environment can be severely impacted by social isolation and bullying. This study examined these threats in a sample of 14 group-classes (291 students) from four different primary education schools. A total of 44 special educational [...] Read more.
Children’s safety, well-being and inclusion in the school environment can be severely impacted by social isolation and bullying. This study examined these threats in a sample of 14 group-classes (291 students) from four different primary education schools. A total of 44 special educational needs (SEN) students and 44 students without SEN were selected. The social network structure of each group-class was analysed, as well as the number of friendship ties, the degree of emotional well-being and social participation (both inside and outside of the school), and the possible cases of bullying. The results show a significantly greater rate of social rejection, emotional distress and risk of exclusion in SEN students with respect to their peers, as well as a considerably higher perception of bullying (38.6% vs. 4.8%). The SEN students who reported bullying were mostly schooled in social networks with a more segregated and fragmented structure. Moreover, the mean value obtained in these groups was lower for all the analysed indicators, although the differences were not statistically significant. These data support the idea that the social capital of the group class could influence the prevention of violence and bullying towards SEN students. However, further studies with larger samples are needed to confirm this. Lastly, strategies to promote the social inclusion of SEN students in primary education schools are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Revisiting School Violence: Safety for Children in Schools)
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16 pages, 277 KB  
Article
“Keeping an Eye Out”: Students’ Experiences of School Personnel’s Noticing in Shaping or Hindering a Positive School Climate
by Silvia Edling, Ylva Bjereld, Robert Thornberg, Peter Gill, Maryam Bourbour and Davoud Masoumi
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(5), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14050254 - 23 Apr 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1688
Abstract
A positive school climate is characterized by a higher degree of well-being among students, reduced bullying, and improved academic performance. While many initiatives are aimed at creating a positive school climate, discussions in both research and theory frequently fail to acknowledge the essential [...] Read more.
A positive school climate is characterized by a higher degree of well-being among students, reduced bullying, and improved academic performance. While many initiatives are aimed at creating a positive school climate, discussions in both research and theory frequently fail to acknowledge the essential role of school personnel. This study examines a purposeful sample of Swedish middle-school students (4th to 9th grade) of school personnel’s noticing in fostering or hindering a positive school climate. Fifteen (15) focus groups and 19 semi-structured interviews were analyzed, covering 133 participants selected from three schools (age range 10 to 16 years) in a Swedish municipality. Drawing on a framework of professional noticing and positive school and classroom climate, the investigation was conducted using a case study approach and analyzed with the help of content analysis. The results highlighted the importance placed by students on school personnel noticing appropriate things/events and responding accordingly. For this to happen, personnel need to (a) notice and make themselves visible; (b) be actively observing as a prerequisite to their noticing; (c) be receptive to noticing; (d) notice and grasp a full picture, including students’ perspectives; and (e) connect their noticing with appropriate actions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Revisiting School Violence: Safety for Children in Schools)
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