Violence in Schools Calls For Cultural Reform

I just finished reading an article for my Portuguese class about problems with the educational system in Brazil. The article addressed a number of issues found in primary and secondary schools, including violence, drug trafficking, gangs, hostility, disrespect, etc., and was really quite depressing. Teachers expressed their concern for safety in the school environment, being hesitant to reprove certain students due to threats on their life. One teacher event recalled an experience of having a gun pulled on him by a student in a school bathroom.

Reading the article and being shocked at the various accounts given, I recognized that the situation there isn't so alien to what we have here in certain places in the US. Kids cause problems everywhere; they insult teachers, fight with each other, and attend school in similarly hostile environments. What do we, Brazil, and other countries have in common that would produce such an environment in schools of all places? I believe that the importance of schools to the youngest members of society is second only to the very homes these kids come from, given that these are the two places young people spend most of their lives until after adolescence.

My hypothesis, as you might call it, is that the health of the school environment in any given country in the 21st century is directly linked to the culture of the new generation that is being developed with influences from technology and globalization. Of course, violence and delinquency have always existed everywhere, but I believe that these have taken on new elements in the current generation that can take them to another level. My solution would be to reevaluate and reform culture, eliminating certain elements that damage and introducing new ones that help.

What do I mean by "reform culture", and what are the "elements", both negative and positive, to which I am referring? I'll elaborate when I have more time. To be continued...