School Violence

SCHOOL VIOLENCE

Definition of school violence

School violence is any behavior that violates a school's educational mission or climate of respect or jeopardizes the intent of the school to be free of aggression against persons or property, drugs, weapons, disruptions, and disorder."

Specific types of school violence

o    According to my opinion, specific examples of school violence can include fighting at school or on school grounds, bringing drugs to school, vandalism, sexual harassment, stealing, bringing weapons to school, and more.

The factor that create school violence

1.      Individual Risk Factors

o    If a child or teenager shows certain antisocial behaviors, such as the inability to control aggressive and angry behavior, he may be at a higher risk of committing an act of school violence, either now or in the future. Hyperactivity and attention deficit disorders seem to also play an essential part in one's risk for violence.

2.      Family Risk Factors

o    The way he is raised can also have an effect on a teen's risk of performing violent acts at school. If one is raised with excessive discipline, or a lack of a disciplinarian, the child may have more anger and emotional concerns as she ages. A parent's lack of involvement in a child's life, along with a parent's substance abuse or neglect, or exposure of the child to family conflict and violence within the home, can also promote antisocial behavior directed toward classmates and educational staff.

3.      Peer and School Risk Factors

o    Children and teenagers are very easily influenced. Their involvement in gangs or drugs or hanging out with other delinquent youth can lead them down a path of violence. Another contributing factor is a lack of involvement in school and conventional social activities. All of these activities can lower a child or teenager's academic performance in school, and can leave an individual feeling unfulfilled in her education and social interactions. These, combined with other risks, can contribute to school violence.

4.      Neighborhood and Community Risk Factors

o    Children and teenagers of lower-income families and neighborhoods tend to be more violent and experience more anger-related incidences than those who grow up in wealthier communities. This negative neighborhood environment can increase involvement in disruptive behaviors, such as drug use. In poorer areas of the United States, there is a higher level of family disruption and delinquent behavior, as well as a lower level of community activities and community bonds, states the 2001 DHHS report on youth violence.

5.      Behavioral Factors

o    The way that a child or teenager behaves either on his own or with his peers or adult role models can shed light on whether the student will act violently toward his friends or school personnel. Bullying is an issue that should be addressed though counseling to keep these negative behaviors from becoming bigger problems, and to find out why the child bullies others.

What are school doing to prevent school violence

1.      Preventative Measures

Many schools are taking preventative measures in order to stop school violence before it starts. These measures include installing metal detectors, hiring security personnel and conducting random locker checks. These measures can be effective in keeping weapons out of schools but are relatively ineffective in deterring fistfights and verbal bullying.

2.      Disciplinary Measures

o    Disciplinary measures are a common strategy for dealing with school violence. These measures include traditional punishments like reprimands, detention and suspension. Schools are using these measures to discourage students from repeating violent acts. Students who repeatedly engage in violent behavior may be expelled if disciplinary measures fail to correct the behavior.

3.      Risk Management

o    Risk management programs involve the use of physical separation to minimize the incidence of school violence. Such strategies include separating students who have a history of fighting, separating bullies from potential victims and transferring bullies and their victims into different classes.

4.      Awareness Programs

o    Awareness programs are information sessions held by counselors, police officers or psychologists. These sessions attempt to educate kids about the psychological, personal and legal consequences of school violence. Typically, the speaker will come into the classroom with a display board featuring images of the consequences of school violence and will speak for an hour on the topic of school violence. These sessions can be effective, but should only be conducted by a qualified professional with a proven track record in dealing with troubled youth.

5.  Interventions and Mediation

o    Schools are using intervention and mediation to help students talk through their problems, including those involving school violence. These strategies involve getting the school guidance counselor or an outside professional to speak with students who are involved in school violence. Approaches that are currently being used include one-on-one sessions between bullies and counselors and group sessions in which the counselor attempts to reconcile the differences between two students who have been involved in bullying or fighting.

6.      Lessons that educate students about how to peacefully resolve conflicts and help them identify potentially violent students are useful prevention methods. Schools should respond consistently to poor behavior and rules should be presented in a simple manner often to remind students about expected behavior. Immediate effort should be made to assist students struggling emotionally or academically, according to a 1998 report by the U.S. Department of Justice

7.      Students may experience months or years of grief and stress after encountering violence at school. Abused students may suffer from several emotional ailments like depression or anxiety Discuss what has happened and allow children to voice thoughts and feelings. Do not tell children to "move on" or discourage emotional displays like crying. Remind children that they are loved and suggest psychiatric assistance. Speak to school counselors and watch for erratic behavioral changes or violent acts or words from children.

The Role of School and Family in Violence

• Children whose parents are supportive and whose friends are high-achieving in school are less likely to be violent. Emotionally or physically abusive parenting increases the likelihood that a student will act out,, a child's school also shapes her propensity for violence. Schools that have fewer than 1,000 students and those which are located in economically stable neighborhoods report fewer cases of student aggression, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.