The Influence of Social-Emotional Skills on the Perception of School Violence Among Chilean Children and Adolescents

This study examines the relationship between social-emotional skills (SES) and perceptions of school violence among middle school students, considering both direct effects and heterogeneity in social-emotional profiles. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional design was used, with a sample of 311 students aged 8 to 15 (M = 10.65, SD = 1.69). SES were assessed across four dimensions (stress management, adaptation, sense of safety, and expectations), while perceptions of school violence included verbal, physical, relational, digital, and teacher-perpetrated acts. The results show that all dimensions of SES have significant negative effects on perceptions of violence, with moderate magnitudes, confirming their role as cognitive-emotional mediating resources. Likewise, three distinct SES profiles (high, medium, and low) were identified, with the profile exhibiting the highest levels consistently reporting lower perceptions of school violence. However, on the one hand, differences between profiles do not follow a strict, linear pattern, suggesting threshold effects. On the other hand, no differences in the perception of violence were found based on gender, despite evident differences in SES. The results indicate that SES operate as situated functional systems that modulate the interpretation of violence, particularly in relational and ambiguous forms. It is concluded that understanding school violence requires integrating variable- and profile-centred approaches and considering the interaction between individual resources and school contexts.