Violence prevention in special education schools – an integrated practice?

•Employees at special schools use a wide range of violence prevention strategies.•The strategies used can be understood through an integrative model operating on 3 levels.•The conceptual level provides a common, professional understanding of aggressive acts.•The relational level points to the importance of leadership involvement and teamwork.•The interactive level is about knowing early signs of arousal and providing flexible demands. Research has shown that employees in special education settings are at high risk for work-related threats and violence. Previous research has not yet been able to identify the essential components of training programs that offer protection from work-related threats and violence. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore how employees in special education schools deal with prevention of work-related threats and violence. Group interviews were conducted with 14 employees working at 5 special education schools. Results show that employees use a wide range of prevention strategies drawing on specific violence prevention techniques as well as professional pedagogical approaches. We propose that the prevention of threats and violence in special education schools can be understood as an integrated pedagogical practice operating on three interrelated levels.