Based on focus groups and individual interviews with students, teachers, and parents, an ecosystemic analysis is proposed that highlights the complex phenomenon of school violence, which is underpinned by individual, family, and institutional dynamics. A spectrum of violence is identified that encompasses physical, verbal, psychological, and cyber aggression, as well as bullying, intimidation, discrimination, and peer conflicts. Additionally, the influence of domestic and gender violence in the school context is added to this picture. It is important to note that the perception of these types of violence varies depending on the actor: students are more aware of physical, verbal and cyber aggression, while teachers highlight a persistent lack of respect.
The causes of these behaviours are multifactorial. At the individual level, psychological factors such as low self-esteem, lack of communication skills, fear, frustration, stress and anxiety are identified as precursors to violence. The family context emerges as a determining factor, with family breakdown, lack of emotional support and parental supervision being recurring causes. At the institutional level, weaknesses such as lack of supervision by authorities, perception of impunity, and inadequate enforcement of regulations exacerbate the problem.
This leads to a weak and deficient reporting culture, where students do not report incidents for fear of reprisals, shame, or a generalised lack of trust.
Against this backdrop, key informants also identify a robust set of protective factors that are essential for mitigating violence. These consist of promoting effective communication, trust, mutual respect, and parental and emotional support. The key to resolving these situations lies in a comprehensive approach that combines the development of individual skills such as resilience and autonomy with coordinated institutional actions such as prevention, rapid intervention and conflict resolution.