NCJ Number
140750
Journal
School Safety Update Dated: (September 1992) Pages: 1-3
Date Published
1992
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Violent incidents at school athletic events pose a threat to the continuation of interscholastic athletic programs and to the educational value offered by competitive sports.
Abstract
Violence is becoming more frequent at school football and basketball games and in school recreation centers. Such violence often involves shootings, physical fights, and brawls between rival fans and teams. The threat of violence is becoming so prevalent that school officials and coaches have developed contingency plans, for example, bullet drills in which students are told that, in the event of gunfire, they are to lie face down in the center of the field until the all-clear signal is given. Violence near high schools has also prompted tighter security at games and special events. Spectators are sometimes searched, and police presence at games has been increased. Primary components of a strategy to curb violence include faculty preparation, an effective communication network, crisis prevention, adult supervision, school/law enforcement partnerships, and student participation. Effective athletic event management, however, must go beyond intervention and supervision. Violence prevention programs must be established that identify clear behavior expectations and rules for special events; discuss roles and proper behavior with students, coaches, athletes, and school staff; implement an antiviolence curriculum; train event supervisors on how to intervene; and establish peer mediation and conflict resolution programs so that students will know how to defuse an incident before it explodes.