Children who have been adequately nurtured are themselves unlikely to become perpetrators of violence. Trained Primary Health Care Professionals will be able to identify and intervene with mothers or carers who are at risk of abusing their infants. The same is expected of community volunteer workers within their own communities. The second leg of violence prevention in children and adolescents, is a program, which is being piloted in schools. The school provides a site that has the potential to reach large numbers of children and adolescents as the majority of children and adolescents attend school.
Health services provided in schools reach a large number of children and adolescents.
Schools that promote mental health of children need to ascribe to the ideals described in the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, that is, schools that promote peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality and solidarity. The Democratic government of South Africa has already addressed some of these problems including the high illiteracy rate. Inequities in the education system have been stopped. An integrated National Primary School Nutrition Programme was implemented in most provinces in 1994, within the first 100 days following the inception of the new democratic government. The nutritional programmes in schools are an attempt to combat malnutrition and to help meet one of the basic needs of the child.