For a culture of non-violence – 04/19/2023 – Education

Episodes of violence such as those seen recently in schools require punctual and immediate actions. But we cannot miss the chance to discuss more lasting paths towards a culture of peace, in which children and young people are welcomed and prepared for a healthier and more responsible attitude on and off the internet.

Violence —whether rhetorical (which appears, for example, in threats and rumors of attacks), or physical (with concrete cases of attacks)— will only be effectively faced from a wide range of initiatives, involving public agents, society in general and schools in particular. The construction of a culture of non-violence needs to go through the classroom, starting with the incorporation of themes related to the media universe and socio-emotional issues to the curriculum.

Many factors have the potential to create the conditions for a violent and radical environment, and among them is the way in which we connect with and participate in the world through social media. Hence the importance of addressing this issue in schools as well.

Violent and discriminatory rhetoric can start in a localized and seemingly punctual way, in the form of disrespectful posts, jokes and memes, which perpetuate prejudices or reinforce inequalities.

The danger of this type of behavior will be greater the greater the ignorance of how we all have responsibilities when creating and sharing content. Therefore, schools need to include new literacies in their daily lives that help children and adolescents to understand phenomena such as echo chambers, which amplify hate rhetoric against groups in society, glorify violence or generate rumors and insecurity.

Education for the conscious, ethical and healthy use of media can be incorporated into the curriculum of schools and networks, across all disciplines, not only to discuss and combat hate speech but also misinformation, persuasive messages and representation. These are themes directly related to digital culture, already provided for in the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) and which, therefore, make up a public policy.

Thus, media education, understood as a set of skills so that the whole of society can consume and produce information in a more critical and responsible way, is an important ally in building a culture of non-violence. Among the themes he proposes for the school are the understanding of communication in the digital environment, the limits of freedom of expression, the role of the press in not “rewarding” attackers by exposing names and images that encourage copying, the nature of hate speech and reflection on how messages can violate rights.

It is also important to incorporate into the school culture the appreciation of a welcoming and healthy environment, in which students have space for dialogue and self-expression, participating in the public debate on important topics for society and with a direct impact on their lives, such as their own violence.

With more aware and responsible users, the same social networks where hatred and exaltation of violence are shared could, who knows, become vehicles for mobilizing and disseminating a culture of peace.