The cases of school violence have been highlighted by the media. It is usual to find references to aggressions that occurred in the school environment, involving students, teachers, staff, and parents. This issue has concerned society in general and the population feels increasingly frightened.This imaginary of fear created by the news, often publishing it as sensational material, has kept teachers away from schools (COLOMBIER, MANGEL & PERDRIAULT, 1989), especially public schools and also led parents to move their children from public schools to private ones, in Brazil, in search of a safer environment.
The social relations that are present in society as a whole are reproduced in the school, which, as part of a wider social context influences and is influenced by the same (ARENDT, 2010; BOURDIEU & PASSERON, 2010).

Considering the cases of violence that take place in the school environment, there are three distinct roles: first, the aggressor, who commits the violent act, he or she may act alone or in groups, second, the victim, who suffers the violence, and finally, the observer, who knows what happens, but usually does not intervene. The last participant in the process is very important, because he/she will end up assigning the status of strong and powerful to the aggressor and the status of helpless to the victim.

Most studies on school violence have focused on the figures of the perpetrator and the victim. This study seeks to understand the role of the observer, what he/she sees and the actions taken regarding the facts. It also analyzes the perceptions of victims and aggressors in the presence of the observers as the events occur.

We are concerned about the level of violence in schools and we are concerned more particularly about the role of observers, as we see in them a reflection of the values ​​that have been observed in society as a whole (ASSMAN & SUNG, 2000). We see people increasingly worried about themselves and not about the others; we see a society indifferent to the suffering of others, as if that could be justified by personal safety; we see people seeking isolation as a way to escape the fear, groups that isolate themselves in their homes, in their condos, seeking even forms of recreation that can be performed in these spaces for fear of what they could find outside.

As we see the school as a place of socialization, a place to stimulate values and to stimulate affection, we are concerned about the fact of seeing the school in this sense too, reflecting the fear that we witness in society, and also fleeing from its role of training human beings to become more aware of their social role (FREIRE, 2005).

ARENDT, H. Sobre a Violência. Rio de Janeiro: Civilização Brasileira, 2010. ASSMAN, H., SUNG, J.M., Competência e Sensibilidade Solidária. Educar para a esperança. Rio de Janeiro: Vozes, 2000 BOURDIEU, P., PASSERON, J.C. A Reprodução. Elementos para uma teoria do sistema de ensino. Rio de Janeiro: Vozes, 2010 COLOMBIER, C., MANGEL, G. PERDRIAULT, M. A Violência na Escola. Trad. Roseana K. Murray. São Paulo: Summus, 1989. FREIRE, P. Pedagogia da Autonomia: saberes necessários à prática educativa. 33a. ed. São Paulo: Paz e Terra, 2005 FREIRE, I. P., VEIGA SIMÃO, A. M. E FERREIRA, A. S. O estudo da violência entre pares no 3º ciclo do ensino básico – um questionário aferido para a população portuguesa. Revista Portuguesa de Educação, 19 (2), 2006, 157-183