Projects / Programmes
Criminal liability of school workers as a stipulation of safe school enviroment
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.05.00 |
Social sciences |
Law |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S110 |
Social sciences |
Juridical sciences |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.05 |
Social Sciences |
Law |
authority of teachers, disciplinary measures, workplace violence, duty of care, child sexual abuse, duty to report criminal offences
Researchers (6)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
One of the factors for safety in schools is establishing a school worker’s criminal liability in cases of omission of due supervision of children and youths or when violating their rights. However, this alone does not suffice. It is not possible to provide a safe school environment by merely establishing the criminal liability of school workers, this goal requires a systemic approach that takes into account all influencing factors and includes participation from school workers (educators), pupils, parents and the local community. The contribution of the proposed project in developing a systematic approach is to develop clear limits for criminal liability of school workers in schools, also in response to frequent expectations of the general public that a repressive response may simply (and actually) solve this complex social phenomena. The content of the project is divided into five parts:
The first part: SCHOOLS AS A SAFE ENVIROMENT FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTHS
In the first part we will address violence in schools as a social phenomena and highlight its different factors. Among them, special attention will be focused on a positive social climate in schools, not only in classrooms, but also among school workers. A school environment does no longer include only the school premises (building and courtyards). Through the use of the Internet and social networks the school environment has expanded into cyberspace. A special contribution of our project will be an elaboration on the authority of school workers and schools themselves as an institution in our contemporary society. Since the project’s main thread are legal aspects, we will also analyze the question whether and to what extent it is possible to establish authority with legal mechanisms, and on the other hand whether legal regulations may rather have the tendency to undermine such authority.
The second part: USE OF FORCE BY SCHOOL WORKERS
The second part will explore criminal justice aspects concerning the use of force against children and youths, as well as against fellow school workers (violence at the workplace).
One of the starting points of modern legislations is to prohibit the use of force - in this light, we will comparatively examine the current Slovenian legislation regarding the prohibition of corporal punishment in schools. We will analyze the characteristics and limits of criminal liability of a school worker for violent conduct. These theoretical findings will be complemented with case law. Disciplining pupils is a common background context for unlawful (violent) behaviour of school workers. Thus, we will examine whether the procedures for imposing such disciplining measures are adequate on the legislative level, and complement these findings with an empirical study: by interviewing school workers on their experiences and views on the appropriateness of regulations. Using the empirical data collected and through legislative analysis, combined with methods of comparative law, we will evaluate the adequacy of available disciplining measures for pupils and offer possible alternative solutions.
Furthermore, the second part will also focus on the legal aspects of violence experienced by school workers at their workplace, brought upon them by fellow co-workers (horizontal violence) or by their superiors (vertical violence). We believe that school workers can provide a safe environment for pupils only if they themselves abstain from using violence in relation to their co-workers, nor are victims of such violence. We will evaluate the extent of workplace violence in Slovenian schools, examine the particularities of such violence, analyze the specific offence of the Criminal Code and explore relevant case law.
The third part: CRIMINAL JUSTICE ASPECTS OF THE DUTY TO SUPERVISE AND PROTECT PUPILS
School workers are obliged to prevent and limit risk to the safety of children and youths. Omission of this duty may give rise to their criminal liability.
The cen
Significance for science
Predlagani projekt je prva sistematična raziskava pravnih vidikov zagotavljanja varnega šolskega prostora pri nas.
Eden osrednjih ciljev projekta je izdelati predlog jasnega in preglednega sistema meril pripisovanja kazenske odgovornosti strokovnim delavcem v vzgoji in izobraževanju (s posebnim poudarkom na opustitveni odgovornosti), ter s tem prispevati k večji pravni varnosti na zadevnem področju. Z razvojem meril pripisovanja kazenske odgovornosti strokovnim delavcem v vzgoji in izobraževanju in razvojem dogmatike opustitvenih kaznivih dejanj nasploh bo projekt prispeval k temu, da bo šla slovenska znanost v korak z razvojem znanosti v drugih državah, kjer je bil razvoj meril opustitvene odgovornosti v zadnjih dveh desetletjih bliskovit (zlasti države germanskega govornega področja).
Projekt bo zajel tudi kazensko odgovornost za storitvene oblike kršitev. V tem delu bo inovativni prispevek projekta večplasten. (1) Kljub temu, da je nasilje nad otroki že dlje časa razumljeno kot pomemben družbeni problem in so bili tudi pravni vidiki že deležni strokovne obravnave, pri nas še ni bila opravljena analiza različnih vidikov kazenske odgovornosti strokovnih delavcev za spolne zlorabe otrok. Tudi ob sprejemanju nove kazenske zakonodaje leta 2008, ki je uvedla posebno evidenco storilcev spolne zlorabe otrok, ni bila opravljena potrebna analiza njene ustreznosti in učinkov. (2) Znanstveni prispevek projekta se bo tako odražal v iskanju meja med dopustnim strokovnim (vzgojnim) delovanjem VIZ in takšnim odzivanjem na kršitve šolskih pravil, ki je protipravno, čeprav se zdi učinkovito.
Zaradi prepleta obeh kazenskega in šolskega prava in potrebne usklajenosti pri iskanju ustreznega odzivanja na nedovoljeno ravnanje strokovnih delavcev, bo projekt prispeval tudi k razvoju nekaterih področij šolskega prava (predvsem pravnih vidikov vzgojnega delovanja).
Ustreznost predlaganih rešitev bo merljiva oz. preverljiva zlasti na ravni primerjave z doktrinarnimi rešitvami iz primerljivih kazenskopravnih sistemov. Njihove bistvene značilnosti bodo predstavljene v okviru predlaganega projekta, saj bo ena od osrednjih metod dela primerjalnopravna.
Pomemben znanstveni prispevek projekta nadalje vidimo na ravni razvoja slovenske znanstvene in strokovne terminologije.
Zelo pomembna se nam zdi tudi aplikativna plat projekta, torej podajanje izsledkov in novih znanj na način, ki omogoča neposreden prenos znanja v prakso. V našem primeru to pomeni, da bodo izsledki projekta oblikovani tako, da bodo uporabni pri snovanju vzgojnih, šolskih in širših izobraževalnih politik, izobraževanju kadrov v vzgoji in izobraževanju, ne nazadnje pa tudi pri oblikovanju konkretnih disciplinskih in pravosodnih odločitev.
Significance for the country
Pomen predlaganega projekta za gospodarstvo je predvsem posreden. Vzgojno-izobraževalni, pravosodni in gospodarski družbeni podsistemi lahko vzajemno učinkujejo drug na drugega, znano je na primer, da ima dobro delovanje pravosodja lahko pozitivne učinke na gospodarsko dejavnost, prav tako pa se zdi, da ima vzpodbudno, vključujoče in varno šolsko okolje na dolgi rok lahko pozitivne učinke na državno upravo in na konkurenčnost gospodarstva.
Ko govorimo o učinkih kakovostnega šolskega okolja na gospodarstvo, nimamo v mislih le neposredne povezave med kakovostjo izobrazbe zaposlenih v gospodarstvu in konkurenčnostjo gospodarstva. Prav tako pomembno se nam namreč zdi, da vzpodbudno in varno šolsko okolje vpliva na kulturni razvoj družbe, s tem pa posredno tudi na njene podsisteme, vključno z državno upravo in gospodarstvom. Varno šolsko okolje namreč lahko prispeva k razvoju družbenega vzdušja, v katerem se cenijo tolerantnost, pluralnost vrednostnih orientacij, hkrati pa tudi osebna odgovornost in skrb za varnost drugih. Izhajamo iz prepričanja, da je od tega, kako varno se posameznik počuti v institucionalnem okolju od najzgodnejšega otroštva dalje, lahko odvisno njegovo funkcioniranje v poznejšem poklicnem življenju.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2016,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2015,
2016,
final report
