The intervention of Juvenile Justice in cases of school violence

Abstract

In the school context, violent behavior occurs among adolescents, addressed by the educational community through different interventions. Sometimes, victims file a complaint and resort to the criminal justice system. If the reported students are between 14 and 17 years old at the time of the incidents, the intervention is carried out through the Juvenile Justice system, regulated by the Organic Law 5/2000 on Criminal Responsibility of Minors (LORPM). This law holds young people accountable, taking into account their developmental stage, and provides appropriate educational responses to their age, including the possibility of reparation to the victim. The article explains in detail the process that a complaint follows, and the interventions that are carried out with the aggressors and victims, whether a judicial measure is imposed on them or whether they participate in a restorative justice process. It also addresses the specificities observed in juvenile justice in cases of school violence, related to the adolescents involved and the type of crime, which are exemplified through three cases, analyzing the aspects that hinder or facilitate the approach. Finally, some proposals are made to improve the intervention of all areas involved in the prevention and treatment of violence in the school environment.