The goal of this descriptive - exploratory study was to describe the meaning of violence for school-aged children and preadolescents in a public school. The sample was comprised of 60 children, 6 to 12 years old. The findings showed children attach meaning to violence according to their developmental stage. Common aspects related to violence were found among the children, such as: low socioeconomic status, history of family violence, and split families. These findings should be considered when taking actions to prevent violence by working on risk factors and developing individual and group strategies for children, families and teachers.