The phenomenon of violence among young people in schools has become more and more common in recent times. Violent behaviour coupled with intolerant attitudes is reaching worrying levels as a consequence of social, cultural and familial crises. Violent acts are linked into a framework of interpersonal relationships and have a close relation to familial situations and the social background of the school.

In this context, AIPC-Pandora is currently carrying out, with the support of the town council of Galapagar and the Ministry of Education and Sciences, a project of Violence Prevention and Education in Values in Local Secondary Schools. The project works with all the school community simultaneously on three levels:

• With students in the classroom
• With the teaching body
• With parents through courses

It works according to an open, participative and experience-based methodology, as this is considered the most appropriate way of involving the participants to help them to acquire knowledge and strategies for confrontation from the experience.

At the moment the project is up and running in two secondary schools (Santa Elena and Cañada Real) and has received a positive response in both from the teachers and the students, reaffirming the need for such a project. With the student body, issues such as the concept of violence and the different forms it takes, as well as the importance of valuing coexistence positively, are worked on and related to situations faced by the students daily in the classroom. The teaching staff of both schools supports the giving of these sessions and has also worked on sessions on sensitisation towards violence, based on real cases, bringing alternative ideas to solve, confront and prevent the stress associated with this profession.

The “Family School,” led by the town’s Education Department, which includes many parents, grandparents, teachers, social workers, school caretakers, psychologists, etc., is working very successfully tacking with an experience-based approach the problems relating to violence faced by children and teenagers. Furthermore, the “school for families” works on educational strategies to promote an education based on communication, respect and peaceful coexistence.

The project is awaiting new funds so that it can be developed in other schools, primary as well as secondary, in the Community of Madrid area.