16. Social Representations of Violence among Public School Students

Violence is a social phenomenon, for it exists in specific contexts and is effected in relationships with others, due to socio-economic, political and cultural factors. This study, of a quantitative, qualitative and descriptive nature, aimed to investigate the social representations of violence among 349 students from Florianópolis, Brazil, through a self-administered questionnaire. The participants’ average age was 16 years and 3 months old. It was found that violence is part of the students’ everyday life. Their elaboration and dissemination of social representations of violence focused on three main aspects: physical violence; verbal violence; and internal causes (perpetrator characteristics) and external causes (social inequality, drugs, and games) of violence. It is important to know the social representations of violence and their associated factors in the context of adolescents’ daily lives in order to contribute to preventive works and to promote a culture of peace in schools.