Collaborative Management of Adolescent Development and Violence Prevention in Schools: Beyond Ineluctable Pubertal Neurobiological Changes, the Need for Holistic Ecological Strategies

Abstract

Aim: This study examines how collaboration among parents, teachers, and adolescents influences the prevention of school violence in secondary school settings in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Methods: The study adopts an explanatory qualitative research design. Data were collected from six participants (n = 6), including parents, teachers, and adolescents aged 12–18 years from two secondary schools in Yaoundé. Participants were selected purposively and interviewed after providing informed consent. Additionally, the Eysenck Personality Inventory was administered to adolescents to assess personality traits. The study is theoretically grounded in psychoanalytic theory, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, and Attachment Theory. Results: The findings reveal that school violence is influenced by limited parental involvement, weak parent-teacher interactions, and teacher frustration toward students. Adolescents perceive inadequate family engagement as a key contributor, while teachers report low parental participation, often limited to remedial interactions. The study further finds that structured communication between parents and teachers, alongside consistent parental involvement, significantly contributes to reducing adolescent violence and improving behavioral outcomes. Conclusion: The study concludes that preventing school violence requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach that integrates familial, institutional, and individual determinants of adolescent development. Recommendations: The study recommends the formalization of structured parent-teacher collaboration mechanisms within schools and the promotion of continuous parental engagement in students’ academic and social development. Policymakers and educational institutions should adopt integrated intervention strategies that treat adolescent well-being as a shared responsibility between families and schools.