Addressing Urban Violence through Education

Urban violence is a considerable threat to the stability and development of states and the well-being of their populations. In 2025, the urban population in Africa is expected to be larger than in Europe and Latin America... [ view full abstract ]

Urban violence is a considerable threat to the stability and development of states and the well-being of their populations. In 2025, the urban population in Africa is expected to be larger than in Europe and Latin America combined. During the same period, Latin America (which is already considered to be the most urbanized region of the world) is likely to witness a rise in city-to-city migration resulting in the proliferation of medium-sized cities. While such urbanization is likely to help in the overall development of the two regions, it is also likely to exacerbate inequalities, which, in turn, may increase the already high levels of lethal violence experienced by many communities living there.

The role and effectiveness of violence prevention and security programs require examination. Recent reviews of such initiatives (especially in Latin America) show a shift from ‘heavy-handed’ approaches (which emphasize the use of police force for dealing with violence), towards ‘softer handed’ civil society methods (which aim to create order through prevention or addressing conflict drivers). Often, education and training is at the heart of these latter methods.

South Africa and Brazil show high levels of socio-economic development, but also inequality and interpersonal and public violence. This paper will explore the ways in which both South Africa and Brazil have used education to approach violence reduction and prevention. In both cases, both formal and nonformal education initiatives can offer good practices and lessons learned for behavior change related to violence.