School Violence and the Efficacy of the Action Plan Against Violence: A School Counselor Perspective

Abstract This qualitative multiple-case study examines how school counselors (SCs) in Türkiye interpret and implement the Action Plan Against Violence (APAV) across socioeconomically diverse public schools. Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the research explores SCs’ practices at micro, meso, exo, and macrosystem levels. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 SCs from seven schools in Aydın, selected to reflect low, middle, and high socioeconomic status (SES) contexts. Findings reveal significant SES-based variation in both the forms of school violence encountered and the roles SCs assume. In low-SES schools, SCs manage severe physical violence in isolation, with minimal institutional or external support. Middle-SES schools show more adaptive, yet fragmented engagement with the APAV, supported by limited collaboration and peer networks. High-SES schools report psychological forms of violence but largely treat APAV implementation as symbolic due to perceived low risk. Across all contexts, SCs experience role ambiguity, limited autonomy, and insufficient training. Structural constraints at the exo and macro levels, such as centralized policy design, weak inter-agency collaboration, and resource inequality, hinder consistent and meaningful implementation. The study underscores the limitations of standardized, top-down prevention frameworks in addressing the contextual realities of school violence. It calls for context-sensitive policy adaptation, enhanced SC agency, and multi-level coordination to support effective school-based violence prevention.