National Parent Associations’ Subjective Theories of Post-Pandemic School Violence in Chile: A Qualitative Exploratory Study

The aim of this study was to reconstruct the subjective theories of national parent associations in Chile regarding school violence in the post-pandemic period. We performed a collective case study, employing a qualitative, interpretative, and exploratory approach. Information was produced through semi-structured interviews with leaders of four national associations. The information was examined using inductive thematic analysis. In general, parent association representatives largely described school violence as a loss of parental and pedagogical authority, weakening of the family–school bond, centralized school administration, and social vulnerability factors, intensified by the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. The interviewees emphasized preventive and community-based approaches, including strengthening family involvement, incorporating school climate specialists, and implementing educational and recreational activities. Overall, the interviews show that parent association representatives tended to regard violence as a multisystemic phenomenon that, according to their accounts, requires joint efforts involving families, schools, the state, and communities rather than punitive or individualized approaches.