Police and Schools: settling differences

Abstract

The UNESCO Chair of Youth, Education and Society of the Universidade Católica de Brasília has developed research project on school safety in four public schools of the Federal District, in partnership with the Public Prosecutor’s Offi ce of the Federal District and Territories (MPDFT), including the involvement of the police. Does the police promote safety and security for all in school, or does it contribute to the increase in violence? How do principals, teachers, students, and members of the School Safety Board assess the role of the police in the school? This qualitative and quantitative research project interviewed four school directors, eight members of the School Safety Board and seven police offi cers, and held focus groups with 73 students. Questionnaires were applied to 99 teachers and 615 students in four schools of the public education network, which were considered among the most violent schools. The participants, including the police offi cers were unanimous in affi rming that the police presence in schools is important to combat violence, particularly when there is relationship of friendship and trust between the police, the directors of the school, the pupils, and their parents. It was observed that in various cases, the police were assimilated into the educational environment, participating in the running of the school and also in teaching functions in the area of school safety.