מ"אין בעיה" ל"חליפה מיוחדת": התמודדות מערכת החינוך עם אלימות תלמידים

This article presents the policies of Israel's education system regarding the phenomenon of school violence. The process of change is described by means of "The Career of a Social Problem" model with reference to the unique coping modes of the education system at every stage of the model. The first stage, "non-issue", characterizes the 1970s and 1980s, when the media began to report severe incidents of violence in schools involving both pupils and educational staff. Despite the fact that this situation was verified by research (Horowitz & Amir, 1981), the phenomenon could not overcome the political, social and educational barriers. During the second stage, the 1990s, the phenomenon penetrated the barriers and burst into the international arena. The Ministry of Education recognized its existence and promoted dozens of projects and programs intended for rapid improvement, at the same time demonstrating that action was being taken. During the third stage, the last decade, a systematic approach has been established. The Ministry of Education designs and implements policies based on the Vilnai Committee recommendations, on findings from broad monitoring surveys, and on accumulated knowledge from Israel and abroad. Schools are urged to tailor a "unique suit" that corresponds to their specific contextual characteristics in order to foster a positive school climate in general as well as develop a mode of dealing with children at high risk in particular. Although current surveys indicate a mild decrease in the level of adolescent violence in Israel, it is still recognized as a serious and complex social problem that requires effective, consistent, interdisciplinary, systemwide cooperation.