Child-led school policy as a space for preventing violence: first reflections from a case-study

OBJECTIVES All over the world children experience violence in school (Know Violence in Childhood, 2017). In this contribution we refer to those forms of school violence at the boarder of the visible (Bi   & Mont ,2020), included in the definition of corporal punishment –e.g. belittling, humiliating, denigrating, threatening, scaring or ridiculing (UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2006). The presentation discusses the pedagogical role of child-led school policy, a key dimension of a rights-respecting school culture, in preventing violence against children. METHOD The contribution is part of a qualitative case-study (Yin, 2014) on the phenomenon of child participation in the collaboration between Children’s Parliament Scotland and Manor Park PrimarySchool (Aberdeen). The analyzed data is composed of: ethnographic observations, interviews, a focus-group and documents, amongst them the policy itself. RESULTS The creation of the policy revealed itself as a learning experience for the children on their rights:through a participatory process they were able to learn, amongst other things, that they have the right to be and feel safe in school. Not only, they were also able to express their right and formalize it in policy in order for adults (duty-bearers) to be held accountable. Moreover, the policy is a ‘living’ document that frames the school as an ‘agora’, a place in which every member can learn about and experience human rights and democratic principles, that are key to preventing and eradicating violence (Council of Europe, 2020). CONCLUSIONS Child-led school policy can meaningfully empower children as active agents of their own protection(they are able to identify and express rights-breaching), while creating a rights-respecting and democratic school culture that can prevent and combat violence. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. When creating school policy it should function in these ways (Mont  & Jeans, 2020, p.4340): 2. Clearly outline to adults what children need from them. They need to create accountability. 3. Provide agency to children - when certain practices aren’t happening from adults, children cansay this doesn't match up to what is on the policy. 4.Be used to track progress.The policies should help determine a 'what next' in terms of school improvement.