A/66/227 57. Schools succeed in their efforts to curb violence in particular when they break away from a strictly sectoral approach in favour of holistic, participatory and childcentred strategies. Such strategies help to involve families in school life and envisage children as crucial actors and agents of change, shaping decisions with their perspectives and experiences. Furthermore, they help to overcome bureaucratic and administrative divisions and operate in a multifaceted way, through investments in teacher and school staff training, curriculum development, school administration, policy development, budgetary allocations and strong legislation to guarantee the protection of children from violence. 58. This whole-school ethos informed the significant experiences shared at the Oslo meeting, including experiences with initiatives designed to prevent bullying in schools. The success of such initiatives has been closely associated with the engagement of teachers, staff and students, as well as parents and other members of the community. Reductions in the number of incidents of bullying have also been achieved as a result of a strong commitment, a clear plan and a strategic combination of efforts, namely: (a) A sincere and widely shared commitment to address this phenomenon, with the formal adoption and wide dissemination of anti-bullying rules, and their launching at an official school event; (b) The establishment of a governance system in which all stakeholders participate; (c) The development of a monitoring system, with the periodic review of incidents and issues of concern; (d) The dissemination of anti-bullying messages in the community at large. 59. These important lessons learned from anti-bullying programmes provide a crucial reference for the prevention and elimination of other forms of violence against children in schools. 2. Partnering with children 60. School- and system-wide interventions deepen understanding and encourage change in attitudes and social norms that condone violence, including its use as a form of discipline. They also help to promote a culture of tolerance, respect and non-violence and, as a result, prevent violence, contribute to reductions in school absenteeism and abandonment, improve academic achievement and enhance children’s social skills and well-being. 61. In order to consolidate this process, it is critical to partner with children. Joining hands with young people helps to counter the invisibility of violence, increase understanding of children’s perceptions of this phenomenon, and enhance the overall effectiveness of efforts to prevent and eliminate violence in its various forms. 62. Children recognize the importance of clear and unambiguous rules based on the protection of their rights. In spite of the high levels of violence that many of them endure, they remain committed to promoting an inclusive and violence-free school environment. Across regions, they are becoming involved in school clubs, peer education and peer counselling programmes and mediation and conflict-solving 11-44118 13