What Is the Definition of School Violence?
School violence certainly has frightening connotations when you hear about it. But there are varying degrees of school violence, and it's important to be educated about the topic to help identify and prevent potential problems.
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School violence in the media
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When school violence is reported on the news, it's often a school shooting. While tragic, these are not the only types of school violence.
Definition of school violence
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School violence is generally thought to be only school shootings. However, school violence is defined by the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention as anything that jeopardizes a school's educational mission. This can includes verbal arguments, hallway altercations, drug use, and more.
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School violence in the news
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Perhaps the most known instance of school violence is the shooting that took place in Littleton, Colo., at Columbine High School in 1999. During that incident, two students turned guns on their fellow students and eventually killed themselves as well.
Specific types of school violence
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According to the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, specific examples of school violence can include fighting at school or on school grounds, bringing drugs to school, vandalism, sexual harassment, stealing, bringing weapons to school, and more.
What you can do about school violence in your community
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It may be helpful to attend community or PTA meetings to discuss the potential for violence in schools in your area. Working together to notice warning signs in students can help prevent incidences of school violence.
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