School Violence In Schools

School Violence can be defined as any form of violent activity or activities from either a student or students towards other students or staff members’ insides the school premises. It wears many faces and rages from well- planned gang activity, through bullying and intimidation, to theft and verbal slurs. It incorporates the use of knives, cutlass, ice picks, and even guns, (Maharaj-Sharma). The educational system, a learning ground has been plague by school violence which leaves one to question the attributes of such behaviour. This paper will look at the increase in school violence and its effect on the learning curve of students.

The act of school violence has become a dominant factor in today’s societies due to the numerous occurrences that have been reported. Such violence can eventually result in serious criminal activity, leading them in juvenile centers and behind bars. Studies and research have shown that violent behaviours and tendencies manifest themselves in the early years of a child’s life. There are many reasons and influences when it comes to school violence. Abuse at home is seen as a contribution to school violence. Studies have shown that children who suffer abuse and neglect may sustain a variety of devastating physical, psychological, cognitive and behavioural problems. Many abused and neglected children develop behavioural problems that interfere with their education; also it may lead to their involvement in delinquency and later violence. Jeffery J. Haugaard Margaret M. Feerick, in “The Influence of Child Abuse and Family Violence on Violence in Schools,” states that there is a correctional, no casual link between abuse and later school violence, although, “there is a fairly robust association ...

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...schools” would be prepared for these children.”

Davanand Sinanan, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA), stated that, “School violence is a reflection of the wider society. He said these issues need to be dealt with so the problems in schools can be corrected.”

The effects of school violence on the students learning has been clearly recognized and to some agreed upon, though others have disagreed to some extent with this theory and its analysis based on this paper. President of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association Davenand Sinanan said, “Teachers and principals have a responsibility to report all violence taking place at their schools. Sinanan said just like doctors/teachers are duty bound by law, to report teenage sex/pregnancy, they must also place this same kind of emphasis on school violence.”