International (overview)

Definitions, prevalence and sources of violence in our countries

Definition

• Defining what violence is, is an important precondition when discussing prevalence, sources and implications for intervention and prevention initiatives.
• In our countries there is no common definition of violence in school."Violence" is often mixed with other terms describing similar phenomena, such as "bullying" or "aggression".
• When talking about violence in school, "bullying" or its equivalent in other languages is usually used. In the VISIONARY project we agree with the rather broad definition of Olweus: "A student is being bullied or victimised when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other students."

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Prevalence

• National differences concerning definitions, instruments, methods etc. only allow limited comparisons between our countries.
• Though a clear rise in juvenile violence has been detected, the level of violence in school has only slightly increased, if at all.
• The typical form of violence in school is verbal aggression, and serious incidents rarely occur.

Sources

• Numerous studies reveal that the development of both violent behaviour and behaviour that puts pupils at risk of becoming victimised do not relate to a single source, but numerous sources that interact in a complex way.
• Violent behaviour has been associated with the development sources: parental violence , family is underprivileged, violent peer-groups, high need for stimulation etc.
• The potential to become a victim has been associated with: restrictive education, isolation in the class, defensive behaviour etc.