On Wednesday, Minister of Education Lina Axelsson Kihlblom (S) and Minister of Justice and Home Affairs Morgan Johansson (S) presented new decisions linked to how to work with security in schools.
Among other things, it will be easier to turn off violent students, and teachers will have a clearer mandate to intervene in threatening situations.
- Basically, it is about that, in order to be able to counteract such acts of violence, then it is required that school staff have knowledge of violent extremism and how this type of radicalization can be counteracted, says Morgan Johansson.
Preventive work in focus
The Center for Violent Extremism (CVE), at the Swedish Crime Prevention Council, has been commissioned to develop a method for how the school system should be able to handle concerns about violent extremism.
They must also produce information material for the purpose of disseminating knowledge to teachers, principals and other school staff.
In addition, they will conduct a survey of the development of violent crime in schools: who commits them, how they express themselves and who the violence is directed at.
According to Lina Axelsson Kihlblom, these are usually young perpetrators who have had problems with mental illness or have been inspired by violent ideologies.
- To reverse the development, authorities and other actors need to work together.
Preventive and promotional work should always be in focus, she says.
Jonas Trolle becomes investigator
Jonas Trolle has been assigned the role of investigator.
He has 20 years of experience as a police officer and has been head of CVE since 2018.
- Violence or threats of violence contribute to fear, insecurity and stress that affect everyone's ability to learn, he says.
- We will look at existing structures and good examples, and also at how to equip the school with competence-enhancing measures.
Of course also if there is a need for changed or new legislation.
The investigation must be finalized no later than 31 August 2023.