Violence in Schools Essay -- School Violence Crime Safety Education Es

Violence in schools is a problem that Americans have had to face at an ever increasing rate. Instead of fistfights, the issues are fatal, like school shootings. Violence is nationally defined as a physical force used to injure, damage or destroy (Guralnik, D., 1997, P.1490). In the past decade, students are using more than physical force. They are using deadly weapons to injure or kill their peers and authority figures, and to destroy school property. Safety is considered to be the freedom from danger and injury damage (Guralnik, D., 1997, P.1181); in other words, freedom from violence. Schools must ensure students and parents that above adequate measures -especially the three most successful- will be provided to make sure schools are safe. Violence has always been an issue among youths in the United States. Until recently, violence and aggression in American schools, in contrast to the more generic topic of youth violence, was not a focus of extensive scholarly research (Gottesman, R., 1999, P.357). It is an utter horror that the violence occurring on the streets has slowly made its way into the classroom. The 1997-1998 school year served as a dramatic wake-up call that guns are accessible to teens and they will use them to kill. Prior to the 1990s the general public rarely discussed or were affected by school related violence. It seemed to be expected in certain parts of the country-urban areas- but was never thought to reach to suburban and rural schools. Starting in late 1997, a chain reaction of appalling incidents spread from state to state. Following each tragedy was increased media attention and public awareness to this growing issue. Endless images of weeping parents and children were seen on every news... ...fe Havens. Portland, Oregon: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 46. Wallace, J., Fravil, K., and Behre, W., (1997). Social Work. School Social Workers and School Violence: Personal Safety, Training, and Violence Programs, 43, (3), 223-231. Gaustad, J. (1994). The Fundamentals of School Security. How Can Attitudes and Behaviors Be Changed to Make Schools Safer?., 2, (132), 98-99. Simmson, B. (1994). School Violence to School Safety. School Psychology, 23, (2), 236-256. Sandell, A. (2000). Alex 2000. Retrieved April 24, 2003, from the World Wide Web: http://www.juicycerebellum.com/debate2.htm. Dwyer, K., Osher, D., and Warger, C. (1998, August). Early warning, timely response: A guide to safe schools. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved April 29, from the World Wide Web: http://cecp.air.org/guide/earlywarning.htm.