Preventing and combating school violence: effective intervention strategies

Addressing violence in schools requires a comprehensive approach that involves school leaders, teachers, administrative staff, students, parents, and the community. Recent research highlights that preventive strategies adopting an integrated approach are more effective in reducing violence and improving educational outcomes. This paper aims to analyze the strategies implemented in various countries to prevent and reduce school violence, categorizing them into three types of prevention programs: (i) universal programs, designed to promote prosocial behavior among all students; (ii) targeted programs, aimed at students at risk of developing problematic behaviors; and (iii) intensive programs, intended to support students with severe challenging behaviors. The primary objective is to provide practical guidelines for the effective implementation of preventive strategies, while taking into account the emerging challenges in the contemporary educational landscape.