In a public elementary and secondary education school, in the interior of São Paulo state, an Extension Project of the University of São Paulo that aims to invest in the promotion of physical, mental and social health of a group of students is developed. Structured activities, including games, group activities and experiences are offered, coordinated by nursing students and supervised by a faculty member responsible for the project.

To verify the opinion of a group of students about the school and the roles of significant people; to identify existing conflicts, according to the type of violent acts.

To know the circumstances of the interaction of a group of young students with the school and family.

This qualitative study with participant observation analyzed 3 group meetings conducted with twenty 6th grade students of the elementary school.

Students’ perceptions about the school and its professionals were different. They considered family members as important people, who take care, place limits, scold and beat. They struggled to establish their role and that of colleagues at school. Colleagues are friends to play with. The following types of violence were identified: physical, psychological and negligence.

To work on self-esteem, tolerance and cooperation; alleviate conflicts with affective attitudes that express respect; offer educational spaces where young people can take positions, facilitate their interaction and exercise their creativity and reflection preventively collaborate to decrease violence at school. Thus, it may be easier to build models of peaceful coexistence in other social environments.