NCJ Number
208022
Date Published
September 2004
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study examined the prevalence and nature of violence in Polish schools in the context of political changes that are occurring in that country.
Abstract
The behaviors examined were the use of physical force against others and against property (vandalism), breaches of traditional behavioral norms at school, improper student behavior toward teachers, extortion among students, and heavy drinking and cigarette smoking. These behaviors were selected by the researchers as evidence of a climate of lawlessness. In an effort to determine the extent of such behaviors in primary schools, a questionnaire was administered to 836 first-year secondary school students, inquiring about their recollections of behaviors in their previous primary school. A total of 800 completed questionnaires were returned and analyzed in the latter months of 2003. Teachers were also surveyed, yielding a return of 315 usable questionnaires. Students viewed their primary schools as places where they learned to use nicotine and alcoholic beverages, along with primitive language, rebellious behavior, and even criminal activities. Teachers, on the other hand, viewed their schools as places of calm and safety where the climate was rarely lawless. Clearly, teachers must become more involved as observers and participants in the social world of the students in order to recognize how students are experiencing and being conditioned by student culture and values. Only then can school staff act in cooperation with students to change the climate of the school to benefit the healthy development of students. 4 figures and 27 references