Evolution of School Disturbance in America: Colonial Times to Modern Day

• NCJ Number: 172296
• Author(s): G A Crews; M R Counts
• Date Published: 1997
• Length: 165 pages
• Sale Source: Praeger Publishers
• Publication Type: Historical Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

After an overview of school disturbance in U.S. society, this book reviews the history of school disturbance in the United States from the colonial period to the present, followed by a discussion of possible solutions to school disturbance and continuing issues in school disturbance.

Abstract

The first chapter examines social and educational developments and their impacts on the evolution of school disturbance from the early colonial period to the mid-1990s. The second chapter discusses the major social and educational changes that occurred between 1600 and 1780. School disturbance in early America is discussed in the context of social and educational philosophies and practices of the time. An examination of the early national period (1780-1830) notes the many conflicting views of how the new Republic should educate its citizens; school disturbance during this 50-year period is analyzed in the context of how the first schools, having large numbers of students of varying ages, found classroom control crucial and often impossible. Another chapter focuses on the "common school era" (1830-1860), during which time expectations of proper student behavior continued to be extreme and the punishment very physical, causing many schools to become dangerously unruly. The "progressive school era" (1860-1960) saw the control of classrooms evolve from a tight structure for all student movement, to disciplinary classrooms and expulsion, to armed and uniformed police officers being placed in school buildings; school disturbance would increase drastically, causing these increased control mechanisms. In the "kaleidoscopic era" (1960- present) school disturbance evolved from a minor problem to one that caused many national education reports to brand the entire U.S. school system a failure. A review of possible solutions to school disturbance in the United States identifies factors in a school environment that can prevent violence and profiles three proposed solution to school violence: teen court, school safety plans, and security programs. Recommendations for the future are offered for the larger society, parents, schools, and research and investigation. A 147-item bibliography