School violence and the professional socialisation of teachers: The lessons of comparatism

School safety and a positive school social climate have become one of the main concerns of the education systems in England and France in recent years. Teachers complain about a supposedly increasing difficulty in teaching and dealing with challenging behaviour. This study sets out to carry out a comparative survey on the social climate in schools in England and France, focusing on the teachers’ perceptions of their working conditions in socially deprived urban secondary schools and more particularly on the issue of school violence since the two aspects interact. The research sets out to investigate the issue of teachers’ initial and in‐service training as well as professional socialisation and the way it affects their perceptions of school social climate and violence. It highlights key differences that in England provide teachers with a safer and more positive environment.