NCJ Number
191550
Journal
Urban Education Volume: 34 Issue: 1 Dated: March 1999 Pages: 52-68
Date Published
March 1999
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article reviews literature on the history, nature, and extent of violence in schools, as well as risk factors and violence prevention strategies.
Abstract
The analysis focuses on interpersonal violence that occurs between students in schools, with or without a weapon, and with or without injuries. This violence can include homicides, sexual assaults, rapes, and robberies. A 1993 estimate was that 3 million crimes occurred on or near school grounds each year. Levels of fighting and assault remain high. The carrying and use of weapons on school grounds is becoming a particularly serious problem. Males are more likely than females to be victims and perpetrators of crime in general and in violent incidents that occur in the schools. Psychosocial risk factors for violence for youth include family, academic, emotional, and behavioral variables, as well as school-related factors that include school size and setting, school and classroom management styles, and the consistency of the curriculum with students’ needs and styles. Harmful psychological effects of school violence include safety concerns, school avoidance, and cognitive and academic setbacks. Strategies that schools can use to reduce the likelihood of violence include a clear and consistently enforced school discipline policy, curricula that are interesting and culturally relevant, a structured school day, and the use of an assessment to determine places where students are less supervised. Additional strategies include staff awareness of student characteristics that increase the chance of aggression or victimization, clear mechanisms for students to provide input to administrators on school issues, and support and counseling services for witnesses and victims of violence. 41 references