NCJ Number
170974
Date Published
1995
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This audio cassette contains two presentations from the Annual Conference on Criminal Justice Research & Evaluation, July 10, 1995.
Abstract
An introductory section reviews violence, discipline problems and crime as major concerns of American educators. The first presentation discusses a Detroit school-based conflict resolution program funded by the National Institute of Justice. One of the questions examined as part of the program was the connection between school violence and community violence and whether they are actually the same thing. Schools are a natural intervention point to deal with violence. Violence is learned behavior, so anti-violence measures learned in schools can be carried over to community behavior. The 10-week Detroit program emphasized role-playing and other techniques to accomplish non-violent solutions to inter-personal conflicts. The program was aimed primarily at 7th-grade students so they could carry lessons learned through middle school and later grades. The second presentation discusses Alternative Schools for Troubled and Troublesome Kids. One of the major reasons that alternative schools help to improve the behavior and educability of troublesome youngsters is that those schools do not let youngsters fail, do not constantly compare them to norms, standards, and performances of their peers. In addition, teachers give love, counseling and support that the youngsters do not receive in traditional schools. The young people believe that the school is tailored to their needs, which improves their self-image and helps them make a greater commitment to schooling.