Prevention Programs for School Violence
Identifying strategies for reducing school violence is something educators, administrators and government officials have been concentrating on since school violence seemed to erupt in the late 1990s. Many school-wide programs, individually targeted initiatives and grants are available for those working in schools who wish to reduce violence and make schools a safer place for students and educators.
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Statistics
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School shootings at Columbine High School in 1999 and Virginia Tech University in 2007 brought the issue of school violence to the national stage. According to the U.S. Department of Education, there were 48 school-related deaths in elementary and secondary schools during the 2004 to 2005 school year. A National Center for Education Statistics study in 2006 reported that 96 percent of high schools, 94 percent of middle schools and 74 percent of elementary schools reported incidents of crime. Prevention programs are being developed across the country to combat the problem of school violence.
PATHS Program
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The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV) has identified model programs that meet stringent criteria. One such program is PATHS, or Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies, developed by private practitioner and clinical psychologist Carol A. Kusche and Dr. Mark T. Greenberg, director of the Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development at Penn State University. PATHS concentrates on promoting emotional and social competences in elementary schools. The goals of PATHS are to minimize school violence by increasing self-control, selecting successful conflict-resolution strategies, controlling aggressive reactions to frustrating circumstances and improving skills for problem solving. To achieve these goals, teachers and counselors are taught how to instruct children in labeling their feelings and managing the actions they take.
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Bullying-Prevention Programs
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Many different bullying prevention programs have been implemented in the United States, and it may be difficult for educators to choose one. Psychologist Ken Shore, who has worked in different public schools for more than 25 years, says that for a program to be successful it must involve all adults involved in the school community. Addressing individual students as well as the school culture is key. Successful programs have not only decreased bullying, but also vandalism, theft, fighting and truancy. One popular bullying-prevention program is the Olweus program, developed by renowned Swedish psychologist Dan Olweus. The Olweus program has also been identified as a model program by the CSPV.
SAVE Program
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SAVE, or Students Against Violence Everywhere, is a national, nonprofit organization driven by students. Within this program, children learn about alternatives to violence by participating in activities in school and through community services. The goals of SAVE include teaching children crime prevention; conflict management skills; and the benefits of good citizenship, civility and nonviolence. SAVE has more than 200,000 members in more than 1,700 chapters in the United States, who are dedicated to decreasing violence in schools. Go to nationalsave.org to learn how to get involved.
Safe Schools, Healthy Students
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The Safe Schools, Healthy Students initiative began extending money to schools in 1999 as a federal grant-making program designed to explore the best strategies for preventing school violence. The program seeks to address five elements of school safety: violence prevention activities and safe environments in schools; activities preventing alcohol and drug use; support networks for the social, emotional and behavioral development of students; mental health services; and programs promoting early childhood emotional and social learning. A grant application is available on the initiative's website at sshs.samhsa.gov/apply/kit.aspx.
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