Combating hate networks is essential to curbing violence in schools.

Brazil Agency – The country faced yet another attack on schools this Wednesday (5). In Blumenau, a man invaded a daycare center in Blumenau (SC) and killed and injured children. Agência Brasil interviewed experts to understand the reasons that lead to violence against schools.

According to the researchers, the mistaken perception of violence as a solution to problems and the lack of policies to encourage dialogue can be seen as the origin of these problems. Furthermore, the lack of respect for diversity and the spread of hate groups are also among the factors that make up the Brazilian landscape. Preventing and controlling these acts requires the adoption of programs that promote ethical and democratic coexistence inside and outside schools. 

Professor Luciene Togneta from the São Paulo State University (Unesp) emphasizes that policies should be built upon studies led by universities and in partnership with professionals who deal with the school environment daily. “There is no short-term solution, only a long-term one, and not just within the school. It's the entire protection system in which the school is embedded. It's necessary for the people on the ground in the school to think about solutions together with the university. The teacher doesn't know what to do in a challenging environment.” According to her, monitoring threats needs to be constant, not just during critical moments.

Combating hate networks

Luciene Tognetta, coordinator of the Group for Studies and Research in Moral Education (Gepem), states that schools are among the preferred targets because they concentrate a large number of people and because the attacks are followed by high visibility.

“An act against a school causes a lot of repercussions, and that's where you'll be able to execute the plan with precision. Furthermore, the school is a place of coexistence par excellence, where I will encounter the other, the different one,” says the postgraduate professor from the Faculty of Sciences and Letters at Unesp. 

Miriam Abramovay, coordinator of the Program of Studies and Policies on Youth, Education and Gender: Violence and Coexistence at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (Flacso), emphasizes that racist, misogynistic, and hateful narratives are increasingly gaining traction among young people, making it urgent to combat these networks.

“We are talking here about hate crimes. Why do these young people have this hatred? What is happening to our youth? Why accumulate so much hatred for the school? Why want to kill? These are all questions that we will have to answer, as quickly as possible, so that there are no more massacres inside schools,” he says. 

Glorifying violence 

Experts believe that the country's scenario in recent years, with policies encouraging the use of weapons, disinvestment in programs focused on diversity, and political polarization, fosters an environment conducive to acts of violence. 

Danila Zambianco, a doctoral candidate in Education at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) and researcher of school violence, points out that the attacks are related to the fact that violence is seen by some as an efficient strategy for resolving conflicts and a form of empowerment within society.

“Many factors contribute to this effect. Among them are the trivialization of violence, the glorification of violence, and its use as a strategy for conflict resolution. We have seen this with representatives of the Public Power who have praised violence as a strategy, as a means, and the weakening of diversity policies, which, unfortunately, weakens dialogue in building interpersonal relationships,” he points out.

Democratic coexistence

In the same way that they point out that the factors contributing to a school attack are complex, the experts emphasize that preventing these crimes will not happen in isolation, requiring the adoption of a series of governmental actions and the participation of society.

“It’s not enough to believe that putting an armed police officer in the school will solve the problem. We’ve already had cases in civic-military schools, for example, in Aracruz (ES). It’s not just about security, about locking up our children. We have to create public policies that promote democratic coexistence and create a society where people can live together, dialogue, where violence is not tolerated, is not glorified,” emphasizes Danila Zambianco. 

National diagnosis 

Miriam Abramovay advocates for a national diagnosis to understand what is happening within schools and for training education professionals to discuss the topic.

“We need a comprehensive diagnosis to understand what is happening within schools. We don't know, and we never have had one. Secondly, we need school coexistence projects, programs that are federal, state, and municipal. Within these school coexistence programs, we need training for teachers, principals, and parents on these topics.”