VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS.   Term Paper ID:24314 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Causes, types, incidence, effects on students & teachers, role of parents, drugs, gangs, preventive measures.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Causes, types, incidence, effects on students & teachers, role of parents, drugs, gangs, preventive measures. Paper Introduction: Violence is a common occurrence in city schools. Easy access to drugs and lethal weapons is an obvious factor. However, underlying causes such as deteriorating social and economic conditions cannot be overlooked. Efforts to improve the situation in city schools have increased during the past decade, but much needs to be done to assure students a safe, disciplined environment in which to learn. Alarming statistics are being generated on the extent of violence on school campuses. In the period 1986-1990, at least 71 persons were killed with guns at school (OERI 3). A 1991 survey revealed that during a 12-month period, 2 percent of teachers at all grade levels reported being physically attacked, and 8 percent threatened with bodily harm (OERI 7). Almost twenty percent of teachers said that they had been verbally Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. This process may start informally in elementary school, butprogresses toward a more formal expression by the time a student reacheshigh school, and includes practices such as tracking students intodifferently paced class sections, and/or differentiated curricular strands(such as, college prep, commercial, basic, remedial). Citizens can mentor, tutor, and help at-riskyouth with literacy problems. "Law Enforcement's Role in Addressing School Violence."Police Chief (1996, June). The situation has not improved insubsequent decades; most urban areas have experienced double-digitincreases in crime. . 55). Only after thedevelopment of a school safety plan can officials determine the need andpossible effectiveness of measures such as the installation of metaldetectors or restructuring of student movement on campus. . Oncelabelled an underachiever, the school itself often acts as a barrier forsuch students to benefit from the same opportunities as "brighter"students. Other means ofidentification are hand signals, jewelry, distinctive weapons, tattoos, andhairstyles. Reaching The Goals: Safe, Disciplined, and Drug-Free Schools. Violence is a common occurrence in city schools. Department of Health and HumanServices, 1989Garcia, Paul. The key is to empower students, giving them a stake in theoutcome of their schools: "A positive cultural environment includes a highlevel of respect, affiliation and bonding among students and staff"(Lundberg 21). As with any complex societal problem, the causes of school violenceare equally diverse and complex. Field Hearing on Violence in Our Nation's Schools 1 2nd Congress, 2nd session, House of Representatives. Gang members often project an arrogant or aggressive attitude,and attempt to intimidate others, particularly rival gang members. the years prior to the 196 s may appropriately be called the'preescalation period' in American school violence" (U.S. In a 1993survey conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, 33 percent ofparents said that fear of harm has made their children less interested ingoing to school and made it harder to pay attention in class (Brown 13). Given the disruptive effect of drugs in a learning environment, thecreation of drug-free schools in the educational system is a criticalissue. This was the top measure chosen, followed closely by stricterstudent conduct/discipline codes, collaboration with other agencies,expulsion, and strengthening school board policy. "Youth Violence: Causes and Solution." Thrust for Educational Leadership (1994, October): 1 -14.Crime and Violence Prevention Center. The U.S. In a 1991 survey, 44 percent of teachers reported thatstudent misbehavior had a significant impact on their teaching. Works CitedAtkins, James. Unfortunately, the impetus for theformation of such coalitions usually comes about as the result of somecommunity tragedy, e.g., the death of a youngster due to school violence.This "crisis mentality" can be circumvented, however, if schooladministrators identify the consequences and costs of substance abuse asthey relate to each segment of the task force. Some schooladministrators exhibit reluctance to calling in law enforcement officials,believing that it is a sign that the administration has lost control of thesituation. School-related crime has created a frightening environment for theaverage student. 56). In the words ofa high school principal, "An unsafe school campus thwarts the learningprocess, stifles creativity and paralyzes the imaginative ideas ofchildren" (Garcia 23). Easy access todrugs and lethal weapons is an obvious factor. Progressive school administrators realize that a prerequisite forsafe school planning requires developing a vision and establishing goals.Development of this vision should include input from school personnel, lawenforcement, local government, students and the community: "School efforts. . Violence affects students as much or more than teachers. School campuses are a reflection of the largercommunity; thus they have experienced a concomitant increase in crime.Whereas conflicts between students were once settled with words or fistfights, today these same conflicts often lead to aggravated assaults withdeadly weapons. In 1989, 7 percent of public school students and 52 percent ofprivate school students aged 12 through 19 reported that drugs areavailable at their school. The same survey found that 2 percent ofparents know a child who has asked for a gun for his or her own protection(Brown 13). A contributing factor in the increased amount of crime in cityschools is substance abuse among the student population. Congress, 1992,p. The public cannot count on law enforcementalone to solve a problem that is rooted both in the home and in the school. One of the benefitsof the needs assessment is to determine the perceptions of safety from theperspectives of both students and staff. Parents are faced with thechallenge of trying to ameliorate society's unrelenting messages aboutacceptable alternatives for problem-solving: "Most dysfunctional familiessimply have not been trained to cope with problems associated with easyaccess to guns, illegal drugs and alcohol" (Brown 11). Most have adopted some form of drugprevention curriculum. Sacramento: CaliforniaAttorney General's Office, 1994.Drug-free communities. Congressional Oversight Hearing on Local Gang DiversionPrograms. Not only gang members, but innocent citizens have been killed forbeing in rival gang territory wearing the wrong colors. "'Safe Schools' Program Effectively Addresses Violence."Police Chief (1996, June): 28.Brown, David. A relationshipexists between drugs, alcohol, and violence. Committee on Education and labor. School discipline data should begathered to assess what types of problems the school is experiencing and tocompare the problems with crime statistics of the surrounding community.The safety and security audit is conducted in conjunction with local lawenforcement personnel. A 1993 survey by theHarvard School of Public Health found that 62 percent of parents admittedthat the availability of guns has caused their children to be worried aboutsafety at school (Brown 13). Violence in city schools exerts a negative effect on the learningenvironment. Law enforcement officials suggest that administrators developschool safety plans based on the following components: security needsassessment, school discipline data, and safety audits. Gang members usegraffiti to identify themselves and their territory, or as a means ofcommunication. . . Department of Justice found, in arecent study, that half of all violent crimes against youths 12 to 19 yearsof age occurred in school buildings, on school grounds, or in the vicinityof school (Garcia 23). Congress. These statistics demonstrate why school safety hasbecome one of the most critical education issues faced by modern society. Some administrators now view teacher absenteeism andlack of committed involvement as major problems in their schools. Department of Education, 1993.U.S. Gangs wear distinctive clothing,usually baggy and of a specified color. Parents themselvesare sometimes so involved in their own personal development that they havelimited time available to attend to their children's needs: " . Preventionefforts are an integral part of the safety planning process: "Educators donot need training in how to disarm an aggressive armed student; they needto understand the human limits of their roles as teachers andadministrators" (Kipper 26). Only 8 percent of respondents believed thatyouth violence resulted from genetic factors (Garcia 24). The expense involved inattempting to curtail drug activity has led to a diversion of time,resources, and energy that could be used to fulfill the educational missionof schools. Thus few city schools meet the following definition of violence-free learning environments: "Safe schools are orderly and purposefulplaces where students and staff are free to learn and teach without thethreat of physical and psychological harm" (Lundberg 2 ). A comprehensive approach torectifying this situation would be to join forces with parents and parentgroups, civic groups, religious institutions, law enforcement agencies, andhealth service and social service agencies to form a task force to shareconcerns and develop solutions. "Safe Schools Planning." Thrust for Educational Leadership (1994, October): 2 -21.Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). Sociologists are not the only group who believes that lack ofparental monitoring is a major contributor to school violence. Washington: GPO, 1993.U.S. Murders have been known to occur when gang members attemptto remove the graffiti of their rivals. In the period 1986-199 , at least 71 persons were killedwith guns at school (OERI 3). A 1994survey of adults conducted by the San Francisco Chronicle found that morethan three-fourths of respondents believed that youth violence resultedfrom a failure of parents to supervise and discipline their children or thebreakdown of the family unit. The effective schoolmust improve the achievement of all students, without resorting topotentially defeatist labelling, which leads students to destructive meansof enhancing self-esteem, such as violence. For instance, the media (particularly television and movies)routinely glamorize the use of violence. An expert witness at acongressional hearing cited the following statistics on juveniles whomurder, "Over 79 percent have learning problems and 58 percent have seriousreading problems; 21 percent are illiterate; only 21 percent read; 7percent are mentally retarded" (Congressional Oversight Hearing 9 ).Clearly, youths who commit the most violent of crimes, murder, are notdoing well in school. School administrators have resorted to a variety of measures tocontrol violence in schools. Although the effort tocreate such a task force is time-consuming, it is time well spent. Almost 3 percent of senior high schoolstudents reported having five or more drinks in a row in a two-week periodduring the 199 -91 school year; about 14 percent said they used marijuana(OERI 3-6). A 1994 survey revealed that 78 percent ofschool districts favored suspension for student perpetrators of violence(Brown 11). Verbalor nonverbal intimidation can often lead to violence. A 1991 survey revealed that during a 12-month period, 2 percent of teachers at all grade levels reported beingphysically attacked, and 8 percent threatened with bodily harm (OERI 7).Almost twenty percent of teachers said that they had been verbally abusedby a student in the previous four weeks (OERI 7). 26-31.Lundberg, Lee. Alarming statistics are being generated on the extent of violence onschool campuses. Substance abuse among children is occurring at an increasinglyyounger age, all research clearly indicates that more attention must now begiven to the elementary years (OERI; Drug-Free Communities). A 1993 Louis Harris poll thatsurveyed high school students around the country found that 11 percent ofthe students had been shot at in the past year and that 15 percent admittedcarrying a gun (Brown 12). Schools were once considered "safe zones" from illegal drug-relatedactivities, but those days are long past. The New York State Police (NYSP), for instance,has developed a training program for teachers called "Safe Schools."Established in 1993, the program helps educators, school administrators andstaff deal with potentially life-threatening situations in the schools.Program participants are taught to detect the warning signs of potentialviolence and to appropriately respond to violent incidents should theyoccur: "Demand has increased steadily since the program's inception,reflecting the growing level of public concern over school violence"(Atkins 28). Washington: U.S. Every citizen can get involved, in ways which will notjeopardize personal safety. Still other schools have hired monitors to patrolrestrooms, hallways, and school grounds. The most disturbing aspect about the rapid rise inviolence in city schools is that the victims and perpetrators are gettingincreasingly younger: "Noteworthy is the fact that the greatest increasein crime rate [has] occurred at the elementary school level" (U.S.Congress, 1992, p. Gang identity is important, and can often lead toviolence. Clearly, safety issues interfere with the education of schoolchildren. "Creating a Safe School Climate." Thrust for EducationalLeadership (1994, October): 22-24.Kipper, Bobby. The explosion of crime on school campuses is a relatively recentphenomenon. As a result of the audit, school administratorslearn how to employ stepped-up security measures. Washington: GPO, 1992.----------------------- 12 This method involves a combination of approaches such as increasedsurveillance, tougher discipline (e.g., dress codes or school uniforms),more school security, and tougher punishment, including expulsion of guiltystudents. House of Representatives, 1 3rd Congress, 1st Session.Committee on Education and Labor. Students come to school highand some brazenly use drugs on school property. Every day, an estimated 27 , guns accompany studentsto schools, and nearly 3 million thefts and violent crimes occur on or nearschool campuses each year (Garcia 23). Arecent study reported that one in 12 students remained home one or moredays because of the fear that someone would hurt or bother them at school(Garcia 23). Congress. Too many of today's schools contribute to the negative development ofstudent identity by channeling youngsters onto career tracks based onsubjective criteria such as personal appearance or language facility. The congregation of gang members always holds the potentialfor violence, particularly when a group of rival gang members come on thescene: "The violence, often indiscriminate and unpredictable, claimsinnocent victims; and the criminal acts range from individual assaults todrive-by shootings" (Crime and Violence Prevention Center 6). School violence was historically viewed as a relatively minorconcern, concentrating on sporadic incidences of violence until the 196 s:" . However, underlying causessuch as deteriorating social and economic conditions cannot be overlooked.Efforts to improve the situation in city schools have increased during thepast decade, but much needs to be done to assure students a safe,disciplined environment in which to learn. Thus students may report incidences of crime to schooladministrators but these incidents never get reported to the police:"Students quickly learn that assault and battery at school is treateddifferently than it would be at the local shopping mall" (Kipper 26).Several states have enacted laws which require school officials to make thenecessary notifications to law enforcement agencies when crimes occur oncampus. Washington: U.S. Studies on crime noted that between 196 and 1975, generalcriminal activity rose rapidly. . Teens are daily exposed to violence in the media, thisincludes television, videos, and music. For instance, among African-American gangs, the color red is used exclusively by Bloods, while theCrips claim the color blue. Although individual teens must assumepersonal responsibility for their actions, deteriorating social andeconomic conditions exerting stress on already dysfunctional families alsoplays a role. Schools have responded to thisactivity in a variety of ways. Gangs. Although schools have an important role to play in preventingviolence on campus, a comprehensive approach involves the creation ofpartnerships. Drug dealing, once a rareoccurrence on school campuses, is not uncommon. Solving the problem of violence in city schools requires a network ofcommunity support. Information from law enforcement officials suggests the likelihoodthat the incidence of school violence is underreported because states haveyet to develop standardized reporting of school-related crime. A police expert adds, "Even the nation's leadingstudents are affected when the concentration of academic learning isshortened through fear and a concern for personal safety" (Kipper 28). Most districts rely on what is known as the "police model" of schoolsafety. Many experts believe that youth gangs are the single most seriousthreat to school safety. Others have initiated searches of students andtheir belongings. In certain school districts, however, violence has gotten to thepoint that teachers must be instructed in the safe handling of potentiallyexplosive circumstances. duringthe last 3 years children have lost approximately 12 hours of parentaltime a week" (Brown 13). In 1986,almost 3 percent of teachers surveyed indicated that they had consideredleaving the profession because of problems associated with studentmisbehavior (OERI 6). Today's adolescents areheavily involved in the drug culture, and drug-related activity isincreasingly invading the school environment. will be of limited success unless there is an emphasis on reinforcingthe vision that all students can learn, study and work peacefully together"(Garcia 23). If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.