The issue of school safety and security is currently a highly relevant topic in the Slovak Republic. This matter, addressed within the framework of crime prevention and other anti-social activities, is directly related to the protection of soft targets in the sector of education. The Faculty of Security Engineering at the University of Žilina actively contributes to the development of methodologies and security measures for the protection of soft targets in the educational sector. Preventive measures can also be implemented in the form of educational activities. Within the Faculty of Security Engineering, there is an ongoing effort to design, develop, and apply preventive measures by active participation of its students, which ensures the education of qualified professionals in the field of crime prevention and other anti-social activities. This paper presents empirical evidence and experiences gained during the creation and implementation of preventive measures in the form of educational peer-to-peer discussions focused on the prevention of socio-pathological phenomena in schools. The paper will present data from questionnaire surveys conducted with 282 elementary school pupils who participated in these discussions. Based on the processed data, it can be stated that up to one third of respondents have directly encountered socio-pathological phenomena such as bullying, cyberbullying, hate, or discrimination. The empirical data obtained will subsequently be used and applied in the design of preventive measures addressed to teaching staff at primary and secondary schools. The aim of this proposal is to provide security measures and an educational framework for teachers. The application of proposed security measures and the completion of training should ensure that staff are able to identify socio-pathological phenomena among students and are subsequently able to respond appropriately to identified threats. Within the educational activities of the faculty, there is an effort for the training to be conducted by students of the Faculty of Security Engineering under the supervision of professional lecturers, thereby ensuring their preparation for future employment in the field of crime prevention.

Keywords: Soft targets, preventive measures, school safety and security, crime prevention.