school violence
In June 2002, I pledged to help lead and walk alongside those who want safe schools and better communities for our future generations, no matter how uncomfortable. I promised that I would not give up what I know to be “the right thing to do” just because it is easier for others to ignore it and conform. I pledged to continue to make schools a better place for those who face: bullying, harassment, and demoralization. I vowed to continue teaching tolerance and respect in and out of the classroom. I vowed to stand up and fight for those weaker than me. I also pledged to speak openly and honestly about what affects public education until people are willing to take notice and change it. Shortly after making these promises, my life was turned upside down.
When I was attacked in my classroom, no one came to my defense. In fact, the school administration went to great lengths to silence me and smear my character to protect his own reputation. It took four years and two separate trials before I found out that the administration knew my attacker. They had been warned about his behavior and he was on probation for carrying weapons on a school bus. He should never have been allowed in school.
When faced with “minor” incidents, many administrators hope to uphold the reputation of the school. His first reaction is silence. The second is concealment. No school is perfect. When you deny or avoid problems, they increase. With that in mind, I offer the following suggestions to teachers and administrators.
Strategies to Reduce Violence in Schools
• Develop a school atmosphere that promotes acceptance and nonviolence. Do not allow threats or physical or emotional behavior at your school. Take seriously acts of harassment, minor violence, intimidation, etc. Teach your students conflict resolution skills, how to respond to a bully, and self-protection skills, such as how to call 911 and how to stay safe when parents are fighting.
• Be aware of the potential for violence. Know your students. Look for signs that they are angry and about to lose control. Get trained: How to de-escalate and safely intervene with physically violent students. Learn how to stay calm in a crisis, who to call for help, and how to protect yourself and your students. Make sure you have a communication system between your classroom and the office. Conduct a school safety audit periodically.
• Provide adequate supervision. Use supervision times to connect with students.
• Teach the social skills necessary to build positive relationships. Skills such as conflict resolution, peer mediation, resisting peer pressure, personal safety, and how to maintain healthy personal boundaries will help reduce violence and promote emotional health.
• Provide a structured and predictable environment with limits and rules. This will ensure safety, consistency, and safety at school. Be consistent in how you handle both success and bad behavior.
• Give each and every student a feeling of belonging. Build class cohesion through cooperative learning and acceptance. Make each student feel that she believes in her worth as an individual. Build students’ self-esteem through high expectations, giving choices, and positive support/praise.
• Be an example to follow. Teach respect for all people and all ideas/beliefs.
• Demonstrate and teach safe and healthy ways to express feelings through speech, art, music, writing, exercise, etc. Model appropriate parenting interactions with others.
• Encourage students to make their own decisions. Teach independence and the ability to take risks. Give each child a sense of being a worthwhile person apart from their family’s problems. Develop initiative by modeling the courage to be imperfect and the ability to bounce back from mistakes.
• Be honest. Let students know what you can and cannot do to help. Do not make promises you can not keep. Many students no longer trust adults. Your behavior should not further erode the small amount of trust they may have developed in you.
• Teach stress management skills. Reduce stress in your classroom. Create a safe and calm environment. Healthy humor relieves stress and increases resilience. Provide opportunities for play, fun and joy in the lives of students. Encourage them to participate in extracurricular activities and develop their own talents.
• Be willing to listen and offer help and support, but know when to ask for help. Refer students and parents to appropriate resources at school and within the community, especially for individual or group counseling.
• Take care of yourself. Working with difficult students is emotionally draining. Be careful not to get too involved with these students. Develop your own self-care techniques to reduce stress. Recognize the symptoms of compassion fatigue and do what you need to do to stay healthy and emotionally grounded.
• Be proactive. Support community and public policies that make it clear that violence is not acceptable and that promote the safety of victims and their children.
• Promotes community training for school staff, social service workers, law enforcement officers, etc. so that people who work with families and children recognize the symptoms and understand the effects of domestic violence.
• Be aware of the symptoms of domestic violence in your co-workers as well as your students. Statistics show that it is very likely that a faculty member at your school is involved in a harmful relationship that may include domestic abuse.