Violence, integrity and education

In many parts of the world, schools, which are supposedly the main social venue for intellectual enrichment and value formation, are often places of suffering and distress, raising important questions about the relationship between violence and education. What are the different forms of violence that can be encountered in a schooling setting? How prevalent are these manifestations of violence? Do they occur in a random fashion or are they associated with specific factors and patterns? What can be done to reduce or eliminate their occurrence? To begin to address these questions, this article is divided into three parts. First, it proposes an analytical framework to identify, in a systematic way, the various forms of violence that can take place within the ambit of school systems. Second, it shows how this typology can be applied along the various analytical dimensions developed. Finally, it reviews ways in which education can be used as a positive force to address violence issues in the school context and beyond.