Attacks on schools, recordings with rumours, disinformation and threats, which “before seemed to be uncoordinated attitudes, have shown themselves to be a dangerous wave”, says sociologist Rudá Ricci, a researcher on education and citizenship.
This Wednesday (12), he participated and was one of the organizers of a meeting with entities linked to the sector to find ways to combat the situation that has generated fear in Brazil. The social scientist defends the need for three emergency measures, which include “disrupting and arresting the nuclei that propagate the threats”, which, for the institutions, is already being addressed by the Ministry of Justice.
The others are “creating guidance protocols for parents and teachers on how to act in cases of threat, violence, aggression and incivility” and “creating a support service and listening to psychologists and social workers” for parents and education professionals.
Check out the main excerpts from the sociologist’s interview below:
Agência Brasil – Are these threats coordinated?
Ruda Ricci – We cannot deny that there is an intelligence behind it. There are messages, for example, about possible attacks on universities. I listened to audio recordings of a young woman who says she received news and an allusion to the attacks in Columbine (United States, on April 20, 1999). These messages spread as a threat to Brazilian universities. These extremist organizations in the country are wanting to build a new January 8, 2023 (day of terrorist acts against the Three Powers). Now involving education.
Agência Brasil – What are the main care points?
Ruda Ricci – We have to be careful about three issues at least. Firstly, with the environment created in Brazil. We have to overcome this idea that we solve problems with our own hands and that we have to be intolerant of those who are different. This climate of violence and intolerance must be overcome. It is the first measure that I suggest, that is, we must have an articulated police and civil society intelligence to identify the origin of these threats and put everyone in jail.
Agência Brasil – The State has acted in this field, right?
Ruda Ricci – This is a very urgent first action. The Ministry of Justice started the process with the hotline. We have to dive into the Deep Web (part of the internet not found by search engines). That’s where they are articulating. We have to identify the branches and networks that formed. We still have to make it clear, even to those teenagers who are threatening, that they will answer for it. We have to curb. And that can’t be done with an armed guard in front of the school. This is the other thing that needs to be made clear and that concerns us. We have the experience of the United States, where there are armed guards inside and they have not quelled the violence.
Agência Brasil – Why?
Ruda Ricci – Because there is a mistaken interpretation of thinking that adolescents who are prone to attack are intimidated by guards, by policing. It’s the opposite. What we know today is that there are adolescents who are imbued with this intention to appear through violence. They see the presence of the guard as a challenge and, therefore, seek other types of stratagems, such as putting a bomb in the bathroom and, thus, trying to demoralize security.
In the United States, armed guards inside schools have increased and even encouraged acts of violence. We want another type of approach, which is through intelligence and not withholding acts. This way we can dismantle this network of threats in schools that now, it seems, is being object of the extreme right in Brazil.
Agência Brasil – How to support parents and teachers frightened by the situation?
Ruda Ricci – The second point is that we have to support parents and teachers. For this, it is necessary to elaborate protocols.
Agência Brasil – What does the protocol mean
Ruda Ricci – It means the following: in the face of a rumor of threat to a school, a national orientation is necessary. It cannot be the voluntarism of a school director. This does not solve the wave that is forming in Brazil or that is trying to form. It is necessary to have a protocol if there is a threat of violence, or even violence, acts of aggression or incivility. Define when it is a reason to close the school or suspend classes, and when it is not.
Agência Brasil – Professor, would the protocols be formulated by the State?
Ruda Ricci – I think that civil society has to formulate it. And not in dispute between politicians in the most varied cities. The knowledge to face educational problems and violence involving education lies in civil society.
Agência Brasil – What is the purpose of these meetings between the entities? Is it the formulation of suggestions?
Ruda Ricci – We held the first meeting with 20 national entities and researchers, from all states of the country. We need to map these threats, which is one of the objectives.
Agência Brasil – The third point is psychological support, right?
Ruda Ricci – It’s the following: we have some countries like France that already have, for a long time, a psychological and assistance service, even pedagogical, also for teachers. I am suggesting that we create a national support service involving, for example, the more than 2,500 Caps (Psychosocial Care Centers), the Cras (Social Assistance Reference Centers) and also universities, non-governmental organizations ( NGO), so that parents and education professionals can be assisted.
This is what is internationally called the policy of care. There is a relevant context to consider. That is, we take care of those who take care of. A Cultivation (NGO linked to education and citizenship that the researcher coordinates) shows, for example, that 40% of teachers in these networks recorded an increase in intra-family conflict during the pandemic.
When we have a desocialized society, we increase violence. This involves anguish and loneliness. Schools are expected to change the scenario. When we returned from the pandemic, it was thought that it would be necessary to chase after the lost content. But it was very important that we focus more on humanization.
Complaints
Complaints about threats of attacks can be made to the Escola Segura channel, created by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, in partnership with SaferNet Brasil. The information sent to the channel will be kept confidential and there is no identification of the complainant.
Access the site to make a complaint.
In case of emergency, it is advisable to call 190 or the nearest police station.
