Creative and Underused Counseling Strategies for the Prevention of Violence in Schools (From Violence in American Schools: A Practical Guide for Counselors, P 185-200, 2000, Daya Singh Sandhu and Cheryl Blalock Aspy, eds. -- See NCJ-185486)

• NCJ Number: 185497
• Author(s): Frederick D. Harper; James P. Griffin Jr.
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 16 pages
• Sale Source: American Counseling Assoc
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Collected Work
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The current status of violence among American school youth is discussed, etiological explanations for school violence are offered, the issue of school security is addressed, and school programs and counseling strategies to prevent violence are described.

Abstract

A review of the literature on school violence indicates teenage boys are much more likely to commit gun violence in schools than teenage girls. Withdrawn, quiet, or bizarre young people who are frequently teased, disrespected, rejected, or bullied by classmates and sometimes by parents may act out violently with guns if pushed to a breaking point and may often speak of getting even. Weapon-carrying behavior is associated with violence, an increasing number of movies and television programs glorify violence, and drug use can interact with environmental situations to cause young people to act out violently. Further, some young people learn the use of violent reactions from family members and persons in their immediate culture as a means of expressing anger and resolving conflicts and problems. Due to recent incidents of school violence, school officials are establishing security measures to prevent violence or to minimize the opportunities for violence to occur. Security measures include metal detectors, school guards, video cameras, random searches, and the disseminating of an emergency telephone number to students for use in case of impending danger. Creative violence prevention programs have been designed for all educational levels. Two such programs are the Yale School Development Program (Comer Project) that focuses on creating a cooperative and collaborative network of students, parents, teachers, school administrators, and community leaders who are committed to healthy youth development and the BRAVE (Building Resiliency and Vocational Excellence) Program. Counseling strategies are also described that encompass counselor consultation, peer mediation, group strategies, and artistic strategies. 36 references