ATTACK ON SCHOOL VIOLENCE

• NCJ Number: 147167
• Journal: School Safety Dated: (Winter 1994) Pages: 4-7
• Author(s): J D Dear; K Scott; D Marshall
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 4 pages
• Grant Number(s): 85-MU-CX-0003
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

School violence and solutions are discussed.

Abstract

The 20-member School Violence Advisory Panel (Panel) of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) were instructed to develop a set of assumptions and philosophy statements concerning school violence, determine a data collection strategy, and make recommendations to the CTC. This article sets forth the Panel's working assumptions, describes its data collection strategies, and outlines preliminary findings. Surveys were administered statewide to education professors, credential candidates and recently credentialed school teachers, administrators, counselors, psychologists, and social workers. Nationwide, school board members and State teacher credentialing and licensing directors also were surveyed. In addition, 362 college and university teacher training program coordinators responded to a survey about the preparedness of their students to address school violence. Focus group meetings in 11 California counties were held. Preliminary results indicate, inter alia, that students, teachers and other educators do not feel violence in schools is a big problem. Teachers and other educators worry comparatively little about their own personal safety in school, but feel strongly that special training to address school violence is needed for themselves and others. Data from focus group meetings indicate that where academic performance is high and relationships among students and staff are good, schools are safer and instances of violence are minimal. Over 50 percent of the college and university training program coordinators responding to the preparedness of their graduates to handle school violence stated that the graduates were unprepared. Focus groups recommended numerous means to address school violence including, inter alia, implementing multicultural curricula, teaching conflict resolution, problem solving, and crisis intervention skills to students and school staff, increasing parental involvement, and offering peer tutoring, peer counseling and support.