Public Safety

Key message

Investing in safe and inclusive schools promotes safer communities.

Schools can help disseminate information about safety while also creating safe environments for young people. Communities that invest in such schools tend to have less crime and violence and greater social cohesion. Building bridges between schools, community organisations and opportunities for young people can ensure a pipeline for positive civil, social and economic participation.

Copy text

Key challenges

Unequal access to education seriously raises the probability of conflict. Systematic differences in access to education between religious and ethnic groups that may be caused by grievances or difference in opportunities, can fuel conflict. Higher levels of gender equality in educational outcomes are associated with less violence.
(Østby, 2019)

Copy text

Make the case

Education creates a safer and more inclusive society. Better educated individuals are more trusting and tolerant of strangers and those they know.
(Borgonovi & Burns, 2015)
Education reduces crime and increases earnings. A US study calculated that a 5 percentage point increase in male high school graduation rates would have nearly US$20 billion in total benefit to the US economy via reduced crime and higher earnings.
(DeBaun & Roc, 2013)
Education reduces the likelihood of violent conflict. Education provides children with the knowledge and skills that foster social cohesion and resilience which in turn can prevent conflict and violence.
(UNESCO, 2022)
Early childhood development provides the base for violence prevention. Improvements in early childhood education have been shown to lead to 20% reductions in criminal behaviour later on in life.
(Anders et al, 2023)
Educating boys increases the safety of communities. Boys who have a secondary education are more likely to condemn gender-based violence. Addressing boys' disengagement from education can promote gender equality as well as reducing violence and protecting the futures of members of the community.
(UNESCO, 2022)
Education in a child’s early years yields crime prevention benefits in their older years. Children who did not attend a government preschool programme in Chicago were 70% more likely to be arrested for a violent crime by the age of 18.
(Lochner, 2011)
Education can reduce vulnerability to extremism and radicalisation when it is part of a broader socio-economic strategy. When there is equal access to education, schools invest in the creation of safe spaces for their students at all levels, and the job market is adjusted to the educational level of graduating students, there is a reduced likelihood of vulnerability to violent extremism.
(Sas et al, 2020)
Children who miss school are more likely to be involved in crime. Absent pupils were found to be more than three times as likely to commit an offence by aged 17 than pupils fully attending school.
(Centre for Social Justice, 2023)

Copy text

Education creates a safer and more inclusive society.
Better educated individuals are more trusting and tolerant of strangers and those they know.
Source: (Borgonovi & Burns, 2015)

Education reduces crime and increases earnings.
A US study calculated that a 5 percentage point increase in male high school graduation rates would have nearly US$20 billion in total benefit to the US economy via reduced crime and higher earnings.
Source: (DeBaun & Roc, 2013)

Education reduces the likelihood of violent conflict.
Education provides children with the knowledge and skills that foster social cohesion and resilience which in turn can prevent conflict and violence.
Source: (UNESCO, 2022)

Early childhood development provides the base for violence prevention.
Improvements in early childhood education have been shown to lead to 20% reductions in criminal behaviour later on in life.
Source: (Anders et al, 2023)

Educating boys increases the safety of communities.
Boys who have a secondary education are more likely to condemn gender-based violence. Addressing boys' disengagement from education can promote gender equality as well as reducing violence and protecting the futures of members of the community.
Source: (UNESCO, 2022)

Education in a child’s early years yields crime prevention benefits in their older years.
Children who did not attend a government preschool programme in Chicago were 70% more likely to be arrested for a violent crime by the age of 18.
Source: (Lochner, 2011)

Education can reduce vulnerability to extremism and radicalisation when it is part of a broader socio-economic strategy.
When there is equal access to education, schools invest in the creation of safe spaces for their students at all levels, and the job market is adjusted to the educational level of graduating students, there is a reduced likelihood of vulnerability to violent extremism.
Source: (Sas et al, 2020)

Children who miss school are more likely to be involved in crime.
Absent pupils were found to be more than three times as likely to commit an offence by aged 17 than pupils fully attending school.
Source: (Centre for Social Justice, 2023)

Key talking points

Education systems have the potential to engage in social transformation as agents of change. A peaceful society is characterised not only by freedom from violence but also by tolerance of diversity, in which education plays a key role.
When young people are provided education and opportunity, they are less likely to enter the criminal justice system.
Safe schools are an investment in strong, safer communities that promote opportunity and growth.

Copy text

Share This Resource

Similar Themes

Security and Peacebuilding