NCJ Number
199600
Journal
Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2003 Pages: 46-63
Date Published
January 2003
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article offers an evaluation of a school-based program in Kentucky designed to increase quality-of-life on campus and to reduce violence.
Abstract
Although official records suggest that violence in schools is on the decline, surveys of students, teachers, and school administrators show that fear of violence is quite high among schools across the Nation. In response to this fear of violence, various types of school-based programs have sprung up across the country. The authors evaluated one type of school-based program being implemented in six Kentucky high schools. The goal of the program is to determine if student-based problem solving can reduce fear of violence on campus while empowering students and contributing to their commitment to school. On an operational level, the program sought to target specific crimes, disorder, and fear-related problems on campus using resources available to the school, students, faculty, and local police. Upon evaluation, consisting of a quasi-experimental design with four experimental and four control groups, the authors found that although the idea was a sound one, there were some initial problems with implementation. In their conclusion, the authors offer several suggestions to improve the program for future use. These suggestions include enhanced teacher preparation, the development of supplemental materials for teacher support, and regular access to technical assistance. Tables, notes, references