Introduction
In the recent years, there has been a marked rise in cases of juvenile violence. These cases have been highlighted by some especially tragic shootings that have taken place in school districts throughout the nation.
Owing to the high publicity that school shootings have received through the years, policy makers have engaged in the increased implementation of zero tolerance policies on violence that are meant to extinguish violence (Cornell, 2006). However, school violence has continued to take place despite the presence of these policies which were meant to ensure that schools remain safe for students.
Unlike other forms of violence, school violence is shaped by numerous factors including socioeconomic, status and cultural (UNESCO, 2007). This complexity makes school violence harder to predict or even understand. To try and shed some light on the issue, this paper shall perform a detailed research as to why school violence occurs, and the people most likely to perpetrate it. A discussion of the proposed solution to the problem of school violence shall also be undertaken.
What is School Violence?
School violence is defined as “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” (NTAC, 2002). From this definition, it is clear that school violence entails more than just the brutal school shootings that have come to be synonymous with the term “school violence” owing to the media depiction of the same.
The definition of “school violence” also suggests that there are some behaviors which have been noted to lead to violent behavior which manifests itself in the form of school violence. A deeper understanding of these behaviors can help policy makers, school administrators and parents alike ensure that the cases of school violence are reduced.
Why does School Violence Occur?
Preti suggest that school violence and in particular school shootings may be caused by “peer’s rejection, particularly bullying and victimization” (Preti, 2008). This is an opinion that is reinforced by the Center for Disease Control (2010) which affirms that according to research on youths, individuals who have a history of violent victimization have a higher risk of being involved in cases of school violence.
This is a physiologically sound reason for the cause of violence since when people feel victimized, they tend to be more prone to perform acts of violence. Cornell (2006) theorizes that victims of relentless bullying mostly respond by rejecting conventional values and becoming morbidly preoccupied with violent revenge schemes.
When young people feel alienated from their peers, they end up feeling unconnected with the school community and the world around them. This may lead to them resorting to the planning and engaging in violent actions in an effort to win the attention as well as the notoriety of both their immediate community and beyond. (Gerler, 2004).
Arguably one of the factors that have led to the increase in the rates of school violence is the increased possession of firearms by school age children as well as the relative ease of access to guns. Cornel (2006) reports that “more than three-fourths of the murders committed by juveniles involved guns.” While guns by themselves do not result in youth violence, their presence plays a critical role in escalating aggressive behavior as even ordinary disputes and arguments can escalate into killings.
Depression and other mental disorders may also predispose one to violence. Most of the students who have gone on shooting rampages in the previous years have been noted to suffer from depression and suicidal behaviors (NTAC, 2002). This suggests that violence may have a more deep rooted cause than just the presence of guns or a non conducive learning environment.
The causes of depression or mental disorders are varied and they may include many factors such as economic hardships, abusive environment at home and failure at school to name but a few. Students who suffer from these psychological disorders may not be able to handle some situations as well as psychologically healthy students.
Another not so subtle cause of school violence is the media influence on children. Specifically, violent video games have been blamed for some of the worse school shootings in the country. This is because the correlation between video-game violence and increased aggression amongst the youths is unnerving.
Anderson and Bushman (2001) hypothesize that it is no coincidence that recent cases of high school and campus violence are in most cases perpetrated by individuals who habitually played violent video games. Studies indicate that the reason for increased aggression with increased exposure to violence scenes is because aggression is largely based on the learning function of the brain and as such, each violent episode is in essence one more learning trial (Dill, 2009).
While proponents of video games insist that video games cannot influence a non-violent person into violence, hundreds of scientific studies affirm that “exposure to entertainment violence increases a child’s aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and, over time, increases the risk that a child will engage in violent criminal behavior” (Cornell, 2006).
Another argument advanced as to the cause of school violence is that schools in general promote negative responses from students thus invoking violence and other anti-social behavior.
A report by UNESCO (2007) asserts that a negative perception of the school environment by students can result in active aggressive resistance. In its most extreme, this aggressive resistance can manifest itself in the form of school shootings. The report further suggests that the fact that most schools have an authoritarian system rather than a democratic model schools can indeed lead to resentment by students and therefore violence.
How to Prevent School Violence
Owing to the adverse effect that violence has on both the students in school and the community at large, measures to alleviate this problem have been proposed. One of the measures proposed is the introduction of a curricular to help prevent violence. Reece, Russell and House (2001) indicate that such curriculums teach students means other than violence through which they can solve their interpersonal and personal problems.
By integrating such educational programs into the students learning, children can be empowered on how to react to situations without having to resolve to violence. Such curriculums also place an emphasis on the need to seek help if a person is troubled (Reece, Russell & House, 2001).
Peer mediation has been suggested to be an effective means through which students can be taught how to negotiate and help peers settle disagreements. The Safe and Responsive Schools Project (2004) note that if properly implemented, peer mediation programs can result in problem resolution without resulting to confrontations or violence.
These programs also encourage greater willingness to help friends avoid fights as well as shunning victimization. Reports indicate that implementing peer mediation programs can be associated with reduction in fights as well as school suspensions therefore leading to a more amicable learning environment for everyone.
The CDC (2010) reveals that half the people who commit school violence tell at least one person about their plans. This demonstrates that would-be offenders are indeed keen on reaching out as they do not their intentions a secret. Therefore, one of the avenues from which the prevention of school violence can be undertaken is by ensuring that school children have an opportunity to talk and connect with the adults around them.
As it currently stands, the perpetrators of violence in schools only make known their intentions to their peers who are less inclined to given the information to adults. This is as a result of the barriers that exist between students and the adults who are mostly seen as adversarial authority figures. The CPSV (2002) suggests that for violence prevention to be achieved, it is importance to work towards decreasing barriers that my prevent students who have useful information from forwarding it to adults.
Guns have been seen to play a major role in school violence cases. A study by the NTAC (2002) indicates that most attackers had used guns in previous cases and also had easy access to the weapons. While it may be impossible to totally limit the access to guns by students, measures can be taken to ensure that access is as restricted as possible. Considering the fact that most attackers obtain their guns from home, ensuring the safe storage of guns by parent can mitigate the violence perpetrated by guns (NTAC, 2002).
Discussion
Despite cases of school violence, a report by the (NTAC, 2002) indicates that American schools still remain to be some of the safest in the world.
The report highlights the fact that official statistics depict a steady decline in the rate of school violence in America. It is the high profile school shootings which are over dramatized by the media that have continued to paint a picture of schools being a very dangerous place.
However, school violence even in limited degrees remains undesirable to the community and means for dealing with the same have to be discovered and implemented so as to ensure the absolute safety of children in schools.
Presently, the measures that have been most exploited to aid in the prevention of school violence is the imposition of stringent punishments and rules against possession of guns or knives.
The CPSV (2002) articulates that trying to prevent school violence solely by implementing physical security measures which are designed to deter or prevent children having weaponry in school is not enough. An addressing of the core issues of bullying, isolation or mental health is also needed to ensure a better chance of preventing school violence and therefore making the schools safer for the students.
Conclusion
This paper set out to discuss school violence so as to provide a deeper understanding of the issue. To this end, this paper has defined school violence and embarked on outlining the various causes and prevention measures of this condition. From the arguments advanced in this paper, it is clear that there is no one approach that can be prescribed for preventing school violence.
This is because there exist a myriad of factors that lead to school violence. As such, for school violence to be retarded and eventually extinguished, these many factors have to be addressed and resolved. Only by doing this can a safer learning environment for the students be guaranteed.
References
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Dill, K., E. (2009). How Fantasy Becomes Reality: Seeing Through Media Influence. Oxford University Press.
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Cornell, D. G. (2006). School Violence: Fears versus Facts. USA: Routledge.
Gerler, R. E. (2004). Handbook of School Violence. USA: Routledge.
National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC), (2002). Preventing School Shootings: A Summary of a U.S. Secret Service Safe School Initiative Report. NIJ Journal no. 248. Web.
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Safe and Responsive Schools Project (SRS). (2004). Preventing School Violence: A Practical Guide to comprehensive Planning. Web.
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