Attacks against schools in Brazil: A qualitative study based on the Bioecological Theory of Development

Abstract

The discussion about attacks on schools has been widely disseminated, mainly following cases that occurred in the United States of America in the 1990s. In Brazil, the incidence of these events has increased in recent years. This study aimed to analyze, from a bioecological perspective, the characteristics of the perpetrators of attacks in Brazilian schools. The qualitative method was based on the principles of Grounded Theory for the process of data collection, construction, and analysis. In addition, the Bioecological Theory of Development guided the analytical process. A total of 37 cases and 40 perpetrators were identified between 2002 and 2024. All individuals involved in the attacks were male, with an average age of 16.45 years. Twenty-five of the perpetrators were students at the institutions they attacked, 10 were former students, and only six had no prior relationship with the institutions they targeted. Components of the microsystem, exosystem, and macrosystem were the most evident in attempts to explain the events and the attackers’ behavior. It is observed that there are still gaps in the production of knowledge about school attacks in Brazil, how to prevent these cases, and the profile of those involved.