NCJ Number
177425
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 66 Issue: 4 Dated: April 1999 Pages: 169-171
Date Published
1999
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article briefly reviews violence in the schools and what can be done about it.
Abstract
The article reviews only incidents involving shootings of children, school administrators or teachers on school grounds or at school activities since 1992, where perpetrators were 21 years of age or younger. All of the perpetrators were male, the youngest was 11 and the oldest was 21, and a rifle, handgun or shotgun was used in every instance. Common traits among the perpetrators included the following: orientation toward violent shows, videos and music; feeling of inferiority; easy access to weapons; suicidal tendencies; above-average intelligence; and ample warning signs either in writing or talking about killing others. Strategies to help prevent school violence include: (1) publicizing the philosophy that a gang presence will not be tolerated and formally establishing a specific code of conduct; (2) alerting students and parents about school rules and punishments for infractions and ensuring that discipline is meted out fairly and consistently; (3) creating alternative schools for students who cannot function in regular classrooms; (4) training teachers, parents and school staff to identify children most at risk for violent behavior; (5) developing community initiatives focused on breaking family cycles of violence and providing programs on parenting, conflict resolution, anger management and recovery from substance abuse; (6) establishing out-of-school programs and in-school peer counseling; and (7) teaching children that it is not "tattling" to report threats of violence. Notes, table