School Safety Work Book: What Works; Promising Violence Prevention Programs

• NCJ Number: 161707
• Editor(s): J M Grady
• Date Published: 1995
• Length: 112 pages
• Grant Number(s): 85-MU-CX-003
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
• Corporate Author: Carver Cty Court Services
• Sale Source: Carver Cty Court Services
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The programs described in this workbook have operated in various schools throughout the Nation to address factors that may lead to violent behavior.

Abstract

The programs presented are grouped according to their primary goals. The goals of the various program groups are conflict resolution, gang prevention, social responsibility, substance abuse prevention, truancy reduction, violence prevention, and weapons prevention. The conflict management programs are designed to help students develop better behavioral skills, minimize their opportunities for trouble, and maximize their opportunities for positive social interaction. Important components in the gang prevention programs are model discipline and dress policies in schools, graffiti removal, and extracurricular programs that provide alternatives to gang participation. Programs designed to develop social responsibility among students focus upon teaching behaviors that involve students in positive behaviors that contribute to the welfare of fellow students, the school, and the community. Substance abuse prevention programs extend beyond the school into the community to include assessment and monitoring of the drug problem, interaction and network-building with community groups, development and implementation of an antidrug policy, the use of a drug prevention curriculum, and the reinforcement of positive role models. Programs that target truancy reduction feature strong policies regarding school attendance that are consistently enforced. Violence-prevention programs address the various factors that contribute to violent behavior and focus on behaviors that contribute to a positive and safe school environment. Prevention strategies for weapons involve parents, the community, students, and school staff in efforts to keep weapons out of schools. A list of violence-prevention resources is provided in the concluding section.