Building a Sense of Care and Belonging While Reducing Violence in Israeli Schools

Abstract

In this chapter, the authors demonstrate the process leading toward behavior change in a classroom, from aggression to inclusion, by way of assimilating the ideas, discourse, and activities of Matzmichim-Uplifters Center. The program was developed to address the high levels of violence, including cyber bullying, among Israeli school children and to introduce possibilities for change. The implemented change is a paradigm and linguistic shift: moving from a deficit to an inclusive model. After going through a Matzmichim-Uplifters program, students are closer to a position in which they have reclaimed responsibility for the social climate in their classroom, giving themselves and each other the right to change for the better and exhibit uplifting, accommodating, and caring behaviors as sources of social capital.