Involvement of schools in the process of protection from domestic violence

Abstract

Specific activities of the schools, functions and responsibilities delegated by national and international laws lead to an obligation to involve in some criminal proceedings for violence against children in close environment, for example reporting about domestic violence against children to competent authorities, providing them with the relevant data, etc. The aim of this work is to establish schools’ obligations relating to information about the possible violence against child in the near surrounding. The tasks were achieved using the following methods: method of analysis of scientific literature, a comparative analysis, method of systemic analysis, the traditional method of the analysis of documents. Additionally, the empiric method was used and deep one-on-one interview with the experts was implemented. The aim was to identify the approach towards the need of school's participation in criminal proceedings regarding violence in the near environment of the persons who are directly familiar with the examined problem. The analysis suggests that the duty to report is often performed defectively, and the application of legal liability for failure to comply with this obligation is ineffective. Different reasons lead to this situation both legal and non-legal: incomplete special legal regulation, lack of legal knowledge, psychological, social and other factors determined by specific activities of schools. Not inadequacy of the legal regulation but its inappropriate implementation is most problematic. Enforcing detailed national as well as schools' local legal regulation, training of all staff, application of special preventive programs, including special measures in to common practices, cooperating with competent institutions are the measures which could lead to the adequate performance of the obligations. Accordingly, schools have human and legal resources to involve in some criminal proceedings for domestic violence against children more actively, especially in reporting about cases of violence.