Investing in Ending School Violence Will Impact Society Positively – UN Representative

The United Nations (UN) Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, says investing in ending school violence will have a positive effect on the society.

Speaking at the launch of the Ministry of Education and Youth’s school violence prevention initiative, ‘Just Medz It’, on October 19 at Wolmer’s Boys’ School, National Heroes Circle, and online, Dr. Maalla M’jid said that investing in ending school violence is highly cost-effective.

“It leads to better health education and social outcomes, while also saving the social cost of dealing with the aftermath of violence. Violence is a behaviour that can and must be changed with you. This calls for a whole-of-society and whole-school approach,” she emphasised.

The yearlong campaign seeks to shift the culture of violent confrontations and responses among children and students, and to equip them with conflict-resolution strategies that are peaceful and healthy.

She commended the Ministry of Education and Youth for the “timely initiative”, noting that violence in and around schools remains a serious problem in Jamaica.

“Violence is becoming normalised in the school environment as part of a wider social tolerance of violence. We cannot accept it. Research has shown that violence in educational settings is associated with a range of mental and physical consequences, including anxiety, substance abuse, depression, and social behaviour. Research has also shown that these effects can persist into adulthood,” she added.

Dr. Maalla M’jid called for the active and sustained involvement of all education stakeholders to end violence in schools.

“This calls for involving and empowering teachers, school counsellors, social workers, healthcare workers, families, students, communities, religious leaders and the media in prevention and early detection as well as raising awareness and changing attitudes and norms towards violence against children,” the UN Representative said.

Dr. Maalla M’jid is on an official visit to Jamaica from Tuesday, October 18 to Friday, October 21.

The visit presents an opportunity for broad engagement with key stakeholders on the priority issue of the elimination of violence against children in the country.