Problem & Proposed Solutions to School Violence

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This paper is an examination of a serious community problem that has had a particular impact on public education, that of violence in the schools. A number of recent shootings, especially the Littleton, Colorado, massacre in which two students planned a systematic attack on Columbine High School, ultimately killing 12 students and a teacher before taking their own lives, has brought the problem into sharp focus. Such events call into question school security, adolescent rage, and the availability of guns, all parts of a problem that appears to be uniquely American. This paper discusses the problem and proposed solutions to eliminating or at least minimizing the disruptive influences of violence within the public school system. Because the problem is complex and specific causes remain controversial and subjective, this paper does not attempt to suggest simple alternatives but instead looks at many different aspects of violence, why it seems to be on the rise in schools, and what might be done to deal with its root causes. It examines potential solutions that tend to be either nurturing, such as early identification and building an inclusionary atmosphere, or attempts at cracking down, including increased security, stronger gun control, zero tolerance policies, and greater public reporting, and considers how each alternative might help deal schools with this serious social issue.

Violence in America is currently on the decline, and serious in-school violence is also goin

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k to prevent violence by heading it off before it reaches the boiling point. The first of these seeks to identify troubled students as early as possible, before their emotional problems have led them to violence. These approaches include programs that try to find troubled and suicidal children before those violent and suicidal impulses become too serious, including surveys or interactive computer questionnaires that encourage youngsters to think about their feelings in a confidential setting that can then lead to one-on-one counseling when needed. Such programs are still in the early stages and do not yet have a proven track record, but they can help to fill the gap caused by a growth dearth of in-school guidance counselors; Cloud observes, "Consider that in the average school district, the harried psychologist must see 10 of his charges every day just to see each of his students once a year. In California, 50 percent of the schools don't even have guidance counselors" ("What Can the Schools Do?" 40). At the very least, high-profile tragedies tend to raise the awareness of the general public of the possibility of violence and the need to look for early warning signs. Where established programs are not in effect, early identi
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Approximate Word count = 3173
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page)

Problem & Proposed Solutions to School Violence

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