Domestic violenceand school: a study in public schools in São Paulo

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the capacity of public schools' staff for identifying children who have suffered domestic maltreatment and the following conduction of such problem. A sample of 90 education professionals was used, with 10 principals and 80 teachers from 10 different public schools in the city of Sao Paulo, who answered a previously prepared questionnaire elaborated from a pilot study with 30 teachers. The results indicated that those professionals are able to identify several domestic maltreatment situations and characteristics; however, they are not able to properly solve those cases, once they try to guide the parents instead of sending them to the services of children and adolescents protection. Such procedure may expose the victims to a higher risk. The domestic violence theme is fearfully dealt with inside schools and the education professionals are unprepared for approaching it yet.