NCJ Number
46750
Date Published
1976
Length
21 pages
Annotation
THIS PUBLICATION FOCUSES ON VIOLENCE AND VANDALISM IN THE SCHOOLS, AND IS THE COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT OF A WEEKLY RADIO PROGRAM DEVOTED TO CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN EDUCATION.
Abstract
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF AN INNER CITY HIGH SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA INTRODUCE THE PROGRAM BY RELATING THEIR EXPERIENCES AND THE POSSIBLE MOTIVATIONS AND SOLUTIONS FOR VIOLENCE AND VANDALISM. THEIR DISCUSSION IS INTERSPERSED WITH COMMENTS BY THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION (NAE) AND FOLLOWED BY THE OPINIONS OF EDUCATORS WHO WERE PARTICIPANTS IN THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE COUNCIL FOR EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH. THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM IS SUBSTANTIATED BY THE 100 MURDERS, 9,000 RAPES, AND 12,000 ARMED ROBBERIES COMMITTED, AND OVER $600,000,000 OF PROPERTY VANDALIZED IN SCHOOLS IN THE U.S. DURING 1975. THE STUDENTS INTERVIEWED FELT THAT MOST VIOLENCE WAS DUE TO FRUSTRATION OVER POOR GRADES, POOR COMMUNICATION WITH TEACHERS, POOR TEACHING, AND LACK OF RESPECT FROM TEACHERS. TEACHERS FELT THAT STUDENTS HAD NO OUTLET FOR THEIR FRUSTRATIONS. CYNICISM ABOUT THE USEFULNESS OF EDUCATION AND THE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE EVEN FOR THOSE WITH EDUCATIONS WAS EVIDENT. SCHOOL VIOLENCE SEEMED ALSO TO REFLECT VIOLENCE IN THE LARGER SOCIETY. THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF NEA POINTED OUT THAT THIS IS NOT A TEACHER OR PARENT PROBLEM BUT ONE AFFLICTING THE ENTIRE SOCIETY; ALL ELEMENTS OF SOCIETY MUST TRY TO SOLVE IT. A DISCUSSION AMONG THE PRESIDENT OF THE DETROIT BOARD OF EDUCATION, A SPOKESMAN FOR RESEARCH FOR BETTER SCHOOLS, INC., PROFESSORS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AND HARVARD UNIVERSITY, THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDANT OF THE LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL CONGRESS OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS TOOK PLACE. ACCORDING TO THE DETROIT REPRESENTATIVE, VIOLENT STUDENTS ARE CRIMINALS AND SHOULD BE SO TREATED. RESEARCH FOR BETTER SCHOOLS, INC. HAS IDENTIFIED FOUR PROGRAMS THAT SCHOOLS CAN USE TO REDUCE VIOLENCE/VANDALISM: PHYSICAL SECURITY SYSTEMS, INCLUDING HARDWARE; COUNSELING PROGRAMS; CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES THAT HELP STUDENTS IN TROUBLE AND TREAT MORAL, LEGAL, AND ETHICAL CONCERNS; AND ORGANIZATIONAL MODIFICATION (ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS FOR DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS, RULE AND REGULATIONS CHANGES, ETC.). GENERAL REMARKS ON THE UNIONIZATION OF TEACHERS, CONTRACT CONDITIONS, AND CORPORAL PUNISHMENT WERE DELIVERED. THE RANGE OF SOLUTIONS USED IN LOS ANGELES WAS REVIEWED, INCLUDING A VISUAL WATCH BY PEOPLE LIVING CLOSE TO THE SCHOOL AND POLICE SURVEILLANCE. SCHOOL VIOLENCE CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO AN EMULATION OF TELEVISION VIOLENCE, ALCOHOL AND DRUGS, LACK OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE SCHOOLS, POOR PARENTING, AND ABSENTEEISM. LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AND THE RESULTS OF SEVERAL EXPERIMENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY NEED TO BE DISSEMINATED. PROPOSED AREAS FOR RESEARCH ARE SCHOOL VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS; ALTERNATIVE SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS OR SCHOOL BUILDING PLANS; AND A STUDY OF JUVENILES WHO ARE SUSPENDED, SENT TO THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, OR RETAINED IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. (DJM)