Violence in our Schools
Children today are growing up in an increasingly violent atmosphere, both in society in general and in their schools. While there is no easy answer as to how to end this violence once and for all, we can look at some of the causes and take steps to contain that which we can. The main contributing factor in all recent school shootings has been the shooters’ feelings that they were bullied by and alienated from the rest of the children and were made to feel that they were not as good as their peers. Being targeted by the other children and having nowhere to turn to for help can cause a build up of more anger until, finally the alienated child is unable to take anymore. They struck out at their peers in what seems to them to be the most effective way, by eliminating them. Although several factors enter into school violence, the most obvious way of preventing violence is to eliminate these feelings of being outcast by one’s peers. If we want to put an end to school violence, we need to put an end to bullying behavior (Shore, 1996).
Many instances of bullying behavior can be linked back to the climate in which a child was raised. Those who are raised in poverty or who have no good role models will frequently suffer due to the lack of examples of adults in productive roles. If the “coolest” guy in the neighborhood is a gang member, then his or her bullying behavior will be emulated by the children in the neighborhood, continuing the cycle of abuse. This pattern usually leads to other negative traits such as becoming easily provoked and developing an inability to solve problems effectively. When these traits are continued in the school system, they are compounded by peer-pressure and the lack of faculty support. The bullies soon learn that they are free to abuse whomever they wish, and although faculty and staff help when they can, there are simply not enough resources necessary to catch and prevent bullies from targeting their peers (Bennett-Johnson, June 2004 p199).
One way that children are targeted is based on how he or she is treated by teachers and faculty. According to Andrea J. Cook in Columbine Author Speaks Out, those who are “just right” or are smart, attractive, and good at sports, are treated well by teachers, because they appear to be everything a teacher wants in a student. Those who are not “just right” are treated po...
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...ents in their academic accomplishments. Recognizing successes of students and teachers and celebrating the positives brings back school pride and willingness to make a difference (Shore, 1996).
Reference:
Hernandez, Thomas J., Seem, Susan R. (April 2004), A Safe School Climate: A Systemic Approach and the School Counselor, Vol. 7, Issue 4, P 256, Retrieved from EBSCOhost 2/11/05
Shore, Rebecca Martin, (Jan. 1996), Curbing School Violence Through a Personal Approach. Greenhaven Press, Retrieved from Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Jan. 27, 2005
Rabinowitz, Dorothy, (2002), Bullying is not a Valid Reason for School Shootings. School Shootings. Retrieved from Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Feb. 5, 2005
Bennett-Johnson, Earnestine, (June 2004) The Root of School Violence: Causes and Recommendation for a Plan of Action. Vol. 38 Issue 2, p 199, Retrieved from EBSCOhost, Jan. 30, 2005
Cook, Andrea, (2004), Columbine Author Speaks Out. Reclaiming Children and Youth,
Retrieved from ESBCOhost database. Feb. 5, 2005
Wright, Jeanne, (2000), The Chaotic Atmosphere of School. School Violence. Retrieved from Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, Jan. 27, 2001.
When talking about school violence, it’s rampant in school and among the student is the cause of it, there are many students from a different background that they were brought by different behavior. “Studied of school violence have variously used terms a teen aggression, conflict, delinquency, conduct disorders, criminal behavior to describe the sources of the problem,” (Meadows 2014 pg.126), Some children have violent behavior in their blood may be because of what they have faced in their early life, their experience, even some are influenced by peer pressure and family, all this violent behavior make majority of student be a victim like peter case, what I think is lack of tolerance and he thinks people should be treated the way he was treated and the revenge is the solution to his problem. Some student doesn 't realize that a school is a subcultural place they can meet different race, skin color, physical appearance, religion, ethnicity and cultural difference, but being tolerance to other people is the key to solving the problem.
In conclusion, School Violence is a widespread issue that must be addressed. School shootings and bullying are some of the biggest issues in today’s school system. Many times the seed of the issue begins with bullying and ends with consequences like suicide and school shootings. They affect people as early as elementary school all the way to the college level, some even ending with death. Only together can we stop school violence if we take a stand and change the world.
Even since the shooting at Columbine High School caught the attention of America and all the world on April 20, 1999, high school shootings and other forms of violence at schools has been plaguing America during the last ten years. It is also found that most of the violence that occurs in high schools is caused by young men. Students aren’t feeling safe at school anymore and parents are enraged that students could bring the weapons to school in the first place. Many people have brought their own opinions into play about why violence in schools occurs. Such causes range from violence in the media, being treated poorly by peers and administrators in school, all the way to poor parental decisions. Although these are only a few of the possible causes for violence in schools, they are defiantly the most prevalent reasons.
It seems to go hand in hand that while people are being convinced that school murders are occurring more frequently, various types of school violence also seem to be rising. This is once again a myth. The United States Departments of Education and Justice distributed a survey to students both in 1989 and 1995. It was reported that the students only felt a .1% increase in the total level of victimization (Kappeler, 188). As a matter of fact, only one in ten public schools report any sort of violence at all (Kappeler, 189).
Schwartz, W. (1996, October). An overview of strategies to reduce school violence. ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education. Retrieved October 21, 2001.
Schools are safe places. However, the American public has become increasingly concerned with crime in schools and the safety of students. In part, this concern has been shaped by the highly publicized acts ...
Mathis, Deborah. “Schools Fail at Stopping Violence.” The Cincinnati Enquirer 7 December 1999, Final ed./Warren: A3.
Koch, Kathy. "School Violence: Are American Schools Safe?" 9 October 1998: 32. CQ Researcher. 30 Nov 2009.
Kalman, Izzy. “Bullying Contributes to School Shootings.” Juvenile Crime. ic.galegroup.com. Web. 2012. Feb. 11, 2015.
School shootings and suicides result from continuous bullying. As a result, after time some side effects of...
Bullying, often dismissed as a normal part of growing up, is a real problem in our nation's schools, according to the National School Safety Center. One out of every four schoolchildren endures taunting, teasing, pushing, and shoving daily from schoolyard bullies. More than 43 percent of middle- and high-school students avoid using school bathrooms for fear of being harassed or assaulted. Old-fashioned schoolyard hazing has escalated to instances of extortion, emotional terrorism, and kids toting guns to school. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of all incidents of school violence begin with verbal conflicts, w...
Bidwell, Allie. "Report: School Crime and Violence Rise" U.S News & World Report, June 10, 2014
The issue of school safety has become a controversial topic in the United States, due to tragic acts of violence occurring on a daily basis. American citizens should never have to cope with the negative impact of school violence, no matter how often they hear about the tragedies (Jones, "Parents" 1). In the past, schools were viewed as a safe place for children to get an education. Recently, the concern over violence in schools has taken a toll on many parents, school administrators, and legislatures (Eckland 1). Studies have shown that there are over 3 million acts of violence in American public schools each year. Not all occurrences are serious and deadly, but they occur on a daily basis throughout our country (Jones, “School” 6). This has caused many parents to worry about the well-being of their children while they are in class. This has also led to an increase in questions and concerns by parents and guardians. Many people have asked, “What are you doing about safety and security on my child’s campus” (Schimke 2). School violence is the cause of elevated worry and fear for their children, and school districts should enforce better security.
Shootings and physical violence are only part of the problem in schools. More than twenty percent of students have encountered bullying whi...
Violence in schools is an ever-growing problem in America. It seems every time we turn on the television we hear news of a new and even more disastrous event. The question we need to ask ourselves now is how can we prevent these tragedies. Many agree that looking at the behavior of students and trying to catch the problem before it escalates could be the solution. Schools increasingly believe that their responsibility is not only to teach academics, but also to curb violent, disruptive, and antisocial behavior. They recognize that underlying problems, such as bullying, teasing and learning disabilities, need to be addressed.