Reason for the initiative
The initiative was prompted by the schools themselves, says Van Duijn. “School administrators approached the municipality with questions. They were dealing with groups of pupils they could not get a grip on, and did not know who could help them with this. Other principals raised the issue of alcohol and drug use at school, and also asked the municipality for help.”
“Schools have been struggling to survive for a very long time,” Van Duijn continues. “They have all these problems coming in, but were not given the resources to deal with them. Not financially, but also not in terms of knowledge.” Van Duijn believes that schools did not address the problem of subversion because it would otherwise become too much. “If you do not name it, it is not there and you do not have to do anything about it either.”
Approach
Van Duijn was asked to develop an approach that would contribute to a safe learning and living environment at school. Her first step was to gain an understanding of the problems occurring in schools. “And above all, to sharpen that understanding by incorporating the perspectives of various relevant partners. What is happening at school? What do we know, and what do we not know yet? And what is happening among young people in general?”
Setting up core teams
At a number of schools, she therefore formed ‘core teams’ in which the school, the community social work team, youth workers, the community police officer and the school attendance officer came together. Every four weeks, they discuss trends and developments and bring together signals and impressions concerning young people.
Roles and responsibilities
Van Duijn facilitates these meetings and ensures that the discussion focuses primarily on the roles and responsibilities of the various parties. “What can the community team do? When should the school call the police? What can you arrange through the school attendance service? By discussing these issues, lines of communication gradually begin to emerge that did not exist before.”
Sometimes the discussion concerns specific information and expertise needed within the school. Van Duijn gives the example of a school where pupils were selling e-cigarettes. “A teacher noticed this and took a pupil to a staff member within the school. But that person had no idea what to do. Was it a criminal offence? Should they call the police? Should they confiscate the e-cigarettes? Or call the parents? They had no answers to any of these questions. That creates a sense of insecurity for young people.”
School as a full-fledged partner
According to Van Duijn, it is therefore important that schools are supported and that they can show their vulnerability by being open about the problems occurring at school. She is pleased that schools are finally being seen as full-fledged partners when it comes to safety issues.
Points of attention for an approach to school safety
Take responsibility
“Professionals have a responsibility to create a safe environment for young people. We must take that responsibility. Not just the teacher, but also the caretaker, youth worker and community police officer.”
Know what is going on among young people
“You have to be aware that, as a professional, you have a role to play, including when it comes to knowing what is happening among young people. I know that the pace at which young people develop, with everything that happens online, is much faster than we can keep up with. But that does not release us from the obligation to continue developing professionally. Otherwise, we are abandoning children.”
Foster awareness, willingness and a clear course of action
“Is the maths teacher aware that red eyes may mean that someone is stoned? Is he then willing to do something about it? Or does he think: I will just continue with Pythagoras’ theorem and let someone else deal with those red eyes? And if that maths teacher is willing to act, does he know what to do? Does he know whom to approach, and what consequences this will have for the pupil?”
Trust in the expertise of partners
“Municipalities must take on an active and guiding role, without interfering too much in the substance of the work. As a municipality, you must be able to trust that a youth care organisation knows about youth care, and that the police know about criminal investigation. So you guide the joint analysis and strategy, and work towards a shared outcome.”
Reach out to one another
“Consider which domain of the pedagogical triangle you are active in, and seek contact with professionals in the other domains. If they do not come to you, you must go to them. So if a school is annoyed that the community police officer never comes by, get on your bike and ride to the police station yourself. Because it is also your responsibility to connect the street, school and home.”
You can read the full interview with Mette van Duijn in the online magazine Juvenile Crime.