School Violence

School Violence Defined Many of us can remember where we were the first time we heard about troubles in schools. Parents held back tears as they worried about their own children and silently sent positive thoughts to the children, teachers, and families involved. A parent sends their child to gain knowledge and learn and should not have to worry about their children being safe at school.

School violence is any activity that can create a disturbance in an educational system. It's not just school shootings. It includes verbal and physical altercations. It is also bullying through electronic means or social media, threats, weapon use, or gang activity. School violence can also be defined as a physical or verbal altercation on the way to school, on the way home from school, or at a school-sponsored event that can cause physical or psychological harm to another individual, school, or community. School violence has occurred at the grade school and high school level. School violence also occurs at the collegiate level, with the deadliest school shooting occurring at Virginia Tech.

History of School Violence School violence is not a new concept. It has been documented as early as 1927 when Andrew Kehoe set bombs off at a school in Bath, Michigan. Kehoe killed himself and several others. In 1959, Paul Orgeron set off a bomb at a playground in Texas that killed himself along with teachers and students. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has recorded 272 school violence incidents from the early 1900s until present-day. Those who commit school violence attacks include staff members, members of the community, and current and former students. The age range of those who commit the crimes vary; the oldest offender was a 62-year old librarian who killed a colleague. From 1990 until present-day, there has been an increase in school violence but the reasons that the offenders commit the crime are not always known. Causes for School Violence There is no clear-cut reason or cause for school violence. However, there are factors that can increase a student's likelihood to commit a type of school crime. Some of these factors include:

 An impoverished community  Poor academic success  A history of violence  Poor family structure  The use of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.  Being bullied by others.  Biological factors  Behavioral factors, such as attention deficit, disorders, or hyperactivity. How can we avoid school violence?

Build a Foundation: Safe schools develop through purposeful planning and organization. This process begins with the formation of a safety team whose role is to develop a comprehensive violence prevention plan. The safety team leads efforts to identify needs, choose options, garner support from school and community stakeholders, and coordinate various services Address Bullying: Bullying intervention programs are integral to overall violence prevention efforts. They seek to eliminate existing bullying problems, prevent the development of new bullying problems, achieve better peer relations at school, create a positive school climate, and increase caring behaviors toward bullying victims by peers and adults Create a Balance: Schools must maintain control of the campus and develop a climate that allows each teacher and student to fully engage in learning. By necessity, efforts to prevent school violence must include a plan to address disciplinary infractions when they occur. Collect Data: An important first step in systematic change to prevent violence is to conduct a needs assessment that identifies the strengths and risks of the school. Assessment efforts should include descriptions of the types of violence that occur, the experiences of various stakeholders with violence, the context within which violence occurs and how that context contributes to violence, the discipline procedure and the number of referrals, and the impact of previous intervention efforts

Famous quotes on violence

“In violence we forget who we are”. ~ Mary McCarthy.

“Violence in the voice is often only the death rattle of reason in the throat”. ~John Frederick Boyes.

“The state calls its own violence law, but that of the individual crime. ~Max Stirner.