National strategy for violence prevention in the Austrian public school system: Development and implementation

As a result of a quick succession of several spectacular events in schools, and the ensuing public discussion on the high rates of bullying in Austria, a national strategy for violence prevention in schools and preschools has been developed. In formulating the strategy, a systematic procedure involving international experts and a number of local stakeholders was applied. Six activity domains—(a) policy and advocacy, (b) information and public relations, (c) networking and cooperation, (d) knowledge transfer and education, (e) prevention and intervention, (f) evaluation and research—and the steps necessary for implementation were defined. This paper presents the national strategy. One measure, the Viennese Social Competence Training (ViSC) program, and the results obtained with prior implementations of it on the class level, are described in greater detail. Finally, a summary and a brief outlook for future prospects are provided.