The INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATORY OF VIOLENCE IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT is an organisation that is totally independent of governments and international political institutions, which explains its status as an NGO. Of course, this NGO may enter into contracts to work in collaboration with such institutions, although these organisations may not interfere in its working and its scientific achievements. Its structure is organised in a democratic, transparent manner, both in elections to the Board of Directors and on the financial level.

The INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATORY OF VIOLENCE IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT is officially declared as an Association governed by the French �Law of 1901� on the articles and rules applicable to associations. It therefore has official legal status (financial management, official membership, power to convene General Meetings etc.).

It is composed of members joining as individuals, whose membership must be approved by the Board of Directors, and members who are legal entities (scientific laboratories, local, national and international observatories), who must in no case be bodies under the direct control of governments or international political institutions, and whose membership must be approved by the General Meeting at the proposal of the Board of Directors. Individual members may be researchers, students, practitioners and any other persons involved in the field of combating violence in the school environment. The members, whether individual or legal entities, must be up-to-date with payments of their annual membership fee. The status of member is lost in case of a failure to pay the membership fee, or in case of a duly ascertained breach of the code of ethics of the INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATORY OF VIOLENCE IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT after submission of a report explaining the grounds for the decision to the Board of Directors. In the case of expulsion, the decision must be ratified by the General Meeting.

It is managed by a Board of Directors comprising 25 members who are directly elected by the General Meeting of the members. Pending the first General Meeting, the INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATORY OF VIOLENCE IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT is managed provisionally by a Board of Directors formed by the founding members of the said Observatory, who are:

Catherine Blaya (France), Helen Cowie (UK), Eric Debarbieux (France), Laurier Fortin (Canada), Carol Hayden (UK), Egide Royer (Canada), Maryse Paquin (Canada), Franco Prina (Italy), Georges Steffgen (Luxembourg), present at the Founding Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, and by: Ron Astor (USA), Claire Beaumont (Canada), Rami Benbenishty (Isra�l), David Farrington (UK), Walter Funk (Germany), Alfredo Furlan (Mexico), Olivier Galand (Belgique), Edwin Gerler (USA), Florent Gomez (France), Yoji Morita (Japan), Brenda Morisson (Australia and USA), Mona O�Moore (Ireland), Rosario Ortega (Spain), Philip Slee (Australia), Peter Smith (UK) and John Visser (UK).

The Board of Directors must comply with the principle of parity between men and women (between 40 and 60%). Its role is to elaborate the orientations of the Observatory, which will then be put to the vote of the General Meeting, to examine and give its approval or rejection of individual membership applications, as well as the grounds for its decision, to prepare the examination by the General Meeting of the membership applications of legal entities and to steer the political and financial management of the NGO. Members of the Board of Directors are elected for a renewable term of office of four years.

An Executive Committee is elected within the Board of Directors. It is composed of 6 members: a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary General, a Deputy Secretary General, a Treasurer and a Deputy Treasurer. Its task is to implement the orientations decided on by the General Meeting and to handle day-to-day management of the NGO. The President and, in the absence of the President, the Vice-President or the Secretary General, are the official representatives of the NGO. Such powers may be delegated by the Executive Committee, however, on particular points. The Treasurer and the Deputy Treasurer put forward the Budget Forecast which is passed by a vote of the Board of Directors. The Committee must report on its action to the General Meeting of the members. The President presents the Activity Report and the Orientation Report to the General Meeting and puts them to the vote. Members of the Committee are elected for a renewable term of office of two years.

A two-thirds majority is required for all decisions of the Committee, the Board of Directors or the General Meeting.