Violence in the academic environment is a topic that demands different strategies from the school community. A survey conducted by the organization Nova Escola among 5,300 teachers from all over Brazil revealed that 80 percent of them said they had been victims of verbal aggression at some point. In addition, 7 percent of these professionals reported having suffered physical aggression.

Violence does not only happen to teachers but also among students. According to the global survey conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), released in 2019, the most common types of violence against students in Brazil are:

• Bullying—22%

• Verbal aggression—17%

• Physical aggression—7%

• Discrimination—6%

• Theft/robbery—4%

• Moral harassment—4%

• Robbery or armed robbery—2%

The cause of violence in schools has not yet been fully mapped. Assaults remain a deep, complex problem for which the school community needs to prepare.

According to a 2018 survey conducted by the Sandy Hook Promise organization, 80 percent of aggressors in schools reported their plans to someone before carrying them out, with 62 percent sharing this information with more than one person.

This data underscores the importance of recognizing the signs that precede an assault and establishing safety protocols on a regular, systematic basis to educate the entire school community regarding these behaviors.

Active Prevention

Faced with this reality and focused on preventing violence in this environment, Adventist Education and ARM South America, the risk manager of Adventist institutions for eight countries in South America, launched the ALERT campaign. It consists of two videos—one for parents and one for students—with guidance on how to create and maintain a healthy school environment, recognize the signs of possible aggressors, and offer practical guidance on how to act in situations with an active aggressor.

"We launched this campaign as a preventive attitude, to undermine and/or minimize the risks of these possible incidents. The goal is to make the entire school community aware of the importance of promoting a healthy study environment and of possible signs of students who may become aggressors. In addition, the campaign provides guidance on how staff and students should act in situations involving active aggressors," explains Christian Prates, director of ARM South America. "We believe that access to this information can save lives."

For Pastor Antonio Marcos Alves, director of Adventist Education for eight countries in South America, safety is a priority in every school and college in the network. "We want our students to be in a place that allows their integral development, without worries. That's why actions like this help raise their awareness and point out ways to follow in risky situations," he emphasizes.

Check out the videos below

Parents on alert:

Students on alert:

ARM South America is the Adventist Church's risk manager for eight countries in South America. Its objective is to find solutions to minimize risks that threaten the institutions that comprise it, including Adventist universities, boarding academies, and primary schools. For more information, visit armsa.com.

The original version of this story was posted on the South America Division Portuguese-language news site.