The Violence against women and girls in schools represents one of them deepest, most persistent and least recognized crisis in Latin America. Despite its magnitude, it remains hidden behind the classroom door, confused with “discipline problems,” disguised as “personal conflicts,” or reduced to the trivial category of “teenage pranks.” However, the evidence gathered in the researchers’ work shows that we face a challenge a structural phenomenon that threatens the physical and emotional integrity of millions of girls and the very democratic spirit of schooling.
The school – a space that should be a protected, egalitarian and emancipatory territory – has transformed into a place for many girls and women constant risk scenario. They converge there Violence of varying intensity: sexual harassment, sexist insults, discrimination based on body or hairstyle, control over clothing and behavior, aesthetic racism, threats, physical attacks and even attempts at extreme violence. These practices do not take place outside the school system: they are embedded in their daily lives and reproduce historical gender inequalities If they are not confronted, they will continue to destroy educational trajectories and life projects.
The first dimension that needs to be recognized is the normalization of the sexual harassment. We have repeatedly documented that many girls fall victim to non-consensual touching, obscene comments, pressure to kiss or touch, and humiliation that is presented as “jokes.” These are not isolated cases, but rather a systematic pattern of control and discipline of the female body. The worst part is These behaviors are usually made invisible by the school. Complaints are minimized, victims are blamed and teachers receive hardly any instructions. In this context Many students choose silence They fear being ridiculed, not being listened to, or suffering retaliation.
Besides sexual harassment The symbolic violence They are an integral part of the school experience for girls and young people. Sexist insults, gossip, public humiliation about the body or appearance, and moralizing statements – questioning their clothing, behavior or private life – act as disciplinary mechanisms that reinforce women’s inferiority. All of this creates a negative emotional climate It affects self-esteem, class participation, academic performance, and retention in school.
Added to this panorama is a particularly painful axis: Aesthetic racism which affects girls and young people particularly hard. Teasing, skin color comments and ridicule are forms of everyday violence that shape the identities and school experiences of thousands of girls. These practices constitute naturalized racial violence that links gender and racial inequalities and causes profound emotional and social harm. Brown girls are often the most vulnerable to these attacks and are least protected by school.
But violence doesn’t just affect female students. Teachers and school staff also suffer attacks, insults, threats and disrespect. In many institutions, teachers are targets of delegitimization: their authority is questioned, they are ridiculed, and they are subjected to verbal or physical attacks that are considered unacceptable. The fact that the most important socializing institution is thinking about this type of violence shows a deep failure of the education system in ensuring safe learning and working environments.
The school, like that, It ceases to be a place of protection and becomes a territory in which violence against women is reproduced, naturalized and legitimized. When educational institutions – through action or inaction – allow these practices to continue, they send the message that the suffering of girls does not matter; that their bodies can be controlled, mocked, or dominated; and that the authority of adult women can be challenged without consequences. This lack of protection causes cumulative damage and paves the way for more serious expressions of violence, in the present and in the future.
Research shows that this has been observed in recent years an increase in threats to attack schools and the spread of hate speech against students and teachers. These episodes include Bladed weapons and firearms. These extreme expressions are not isolated cases: they arise in a school climate in which humiliation, insults and harassment were already the order of the day. Extreme violence is the tip of the iceberg a deeper structure of inequality and silence.
The author of this column is coordinator of the Flacso Brazil Youth Program and visiting professor at the Violence Study Center at the University of São Paulo (USP).
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