What Are The Negative Impacts On Children If Violence Occurs In Their School?

School is a place where children go to learn and be educated.  If students don’t have a positive environment to do this in, then they are at odds with developing the skills of problem solving that they will need for their future.  Each student is deserving of these skills and should be given the opportunity to have this in a nonviolent fashion.  Furthermore, schools main priority and goal for their students is education.  Educators can construct a reasonable and supportive environment that discourages violence by encouraging healthy relationships in schools.  By not having this in place, there could be significant negative impacts on children if violence were to be occurring in their school.

There are many factors in which violence portrays negatively on behalf of students who are attending school.  The problems that come about due to school violence are continual.  “Violent children serve as a roadblock for other children’s future” (nssc.org).  While school violence happens, as an end result, there can be a negative effect to other children’s learning process.  Because of violence in school, completely normal children are not capable of concentrating on their studies, or worst they choose to skip school all together.  This in turn can have a negative effect on their future and has a direct impact on the student.  Moreover, it is crucial to end or limit school violence so that children can concentrate on their studies and be able to have a successful future.  Ending school violence is also important for our communities because children are the nation’s future.  Parents and teachers should therefore take on the responsibility of providing the right guidance, care, affection, support and love to children.  If they do this, they can significantly reduce the incidences of violence in school and the violent attitude present in the children who are experiencing delinquent behavior. 

Violence in schools can have a long lasting permanent effect on kids.  Youths who are victims of violence tend to take both a physical and mental toll.  Complex emotions and feelings tend to get disoriented and problems begin to happen.  Academic performance may get affected causing a decrease in productivity, “Students who have been the victims of a violent outburst or have experienced a traumatic event may suffer from poor academic performance” (ehow.com).  Not only does academic performance get affected but signs of depression and emotional distancing may occur, “When a student is exposed to violence, his emotions are run through the wringer.  Fear,confusion, grief and sometimes guilt can lead a student to begin questioning his own abilities or safety” (ehow.com).  Those exposed to violence begin to repress and avoid others, being anti-social.  This can have a traumatic psychological effect on the child.

School violence creates problems for not only victims but those in the surrounding neighborhood.  Violence can hinder the youth’s proper development and therefore have a negative effect on others in the community. Violence in schools has a significant negative effect on children in school.  Not only do those offending have psychological issues, but those who are victims do also.  Short and long term psychological problems can occur if school violence persists.  School violence has been linked to physical altercations, depression, suicide, rebellionism and the list goes on.  There is no positive result that can come from school violence.  It is essential for schools, teachers and parents to be proactive when violence occurs.  Schools should be a fun exciting place for youths to learn and socialize; not be bullied and afraid.  Implementations of after school programs and the support of parents, teachers and the community can help deter youth from violence and make a fun educative environment for the kids.

http://www.nssc1.org/effects-of-school-violence.html

http://www.ehow.com/info_7940752_effects-school-violence-children.html

http://www.nccev.org/violence/school.html

Are Schools Lacking Violence Prevention Programs?

Because of the growing deficit problem in our country, many communities are struggling to maintain prevention programs within their schools. Concern about school violence has been rising in present years.  Creating a school environment that is safe and entails a positive learning experience for students has become a public precedence. A variety of programs  exist in schools today, which help with violence protection amongst its students. Many of the programs have proven to be beneficial and positive. Removing such programs from schools can have a significant impact in the attitude and violence surrounding the students.  

There are various ways to implement violence prevention strategies in schools. Some of the more common strategies used involve legal, interactionist and physical remedies. The legal remedies implement law into its strategies. An example, is giving school officials the power to search and seize contraband. The interactionist remedies create an open communication relationship between school officials and students. Physical remedies involve strategies by altering the schools environment in ways to prevent possible violence. A study in Virginia schools show that legal and interactionist remedies prove to be the most useful strategies in reducing violence in the school. The study proved the benefits of the prevention program in the school showing these results:

·      Lower rates of delinquency, harassment, bullying, suicide and all other forms of violence and antisocial behavior

·      Increasing the likelihood troubled youth will be identified and receive treatment

·      Improving the learning environment by reducing intimidating, disruptive and disrespectful behavior

·      Preparing communities for responding to not only shootings at schools, but also all other man-made and natural disasters

As shown above, violence prevention programs demonstrate multiple advantages and can have positive results on the students in the schools. These prevention programs work best when they incorporate different strategies and address the full range of possible acts of violence within schools. When safer learning environments are established, it’s important for everyone to be involved i.e. students, parents, faculty and law enforcement. Without such shared responsibility, the chance of safe school policies being successfully implemented and accepted is undermined. The school, faculty and parents play a significant role in preventing violence in schools. By having these strategic programs in place, students will benefit greatly and are most likely to have a positive experience in school.


USA today states that, “Elementary school principals and safety experts say they're seeing more violence and aggression than ever among their youngest students, pointing to what they see as an alarming rise in assaults and threats to classmates and teachers.” This shows that violence in schools is not only growing but starting at a younger age. It is important for society to understand that violence in schools is a vast problem and if nothing is done about it, the odds are that it will continue to grow and get more out of hand. As schools tighten up on their budget, many violence prevention programs are diminishing, causing a rise in violent behavior in students. As in any school program, it is vital to ensure the safety and positive nature in a students surroundings, this in turn will provide a bright future and attitude for them.

  

Time, V., & Payne, B.. (2008). School violence prevention measures: School officials' attitudes about various strategies. Journal of Criminal Justice, 36(4), 301.  Retrieved April 11, 2011, from Criminal Justice Periodicals. (Document ID: 1528866441).

http://202.198.141.77/upload/soft/0-article/+024/24187.pdf

http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/pdfs/Publications/schoolviolence2.pdf

http://content.thirdway.org/publications/242/Third_Way_Module_-_Reducing_Violence_in_Schools.pdf

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-01-12-school-violence-usat_x.htm

The trend in school violence today; is it on the rise?

Not everyone is influenced by school violence.  Those who are not involved directly with school violence could be impacted.  Being surrounded by the negativity and violence will affect those who are around it.  Those students who choose not to be involved by being a perpetrator or instigator should be allowed a safe environment and receive a good education.  School violence should not take away from having a good experience at school. Furthermore, “A survey conducted by the Children's Institute International revealed that almost 50 percent of all teenagers, regardless of their settings--rural, suburban, or urban--believe that their schools are becoming more violent.”  So why is there so much violence in schools and is it on the rise today? 

School faculty strive for children to feel safe at school.  When children don’t feel safe at school it can sometimes portray other negative effects on their life as well.  For example, it can make a significant impact on their learning; causing behavioral issues to arise.  In some cases children sometimes don’t want to attend school or even be connected with their classmates.  Children can’t learn if they don’t feel safe.  Because bullying and gangs are two enormous problems in today’s schools, it challenges children to feel safe and secure in their schools.  There are positive sides to these issues.  There are more after school programs offered, there is more involvement with parents and faculty, there are more resources available to gain control of the current problems, all causing children to feel more safe in school.         

It is very important for children to feel safe in school.  In order for these children to learn at high levels academically, it’s crucial for them to at a minimum, feel safe and secure at school.  “Students who are fearful, bullied, distracted by fights and other disruptive behavior are unlikely to do well academically” (wholechildeducation.org).  There is little dispute to schools needing to do all that can be done in regards to ensuring the safety of learning environments that children are surrounded by.  A main controversy can be over the use of zero tolerance policies and procedures that are currently not being utilized in schools today.  By having this implemented, there could be different results in our children feeling safe and secure in their schools.        

Even though there is a decrease in violent crimes, there is an increase in cyber bullying which can in turn be just as harmful.  The graph below depicts a linear trend in the decrease of violent crimes in school from 1992 to 2007.  It is common to hear from the news and on the web of the bullying and fighting occurring on and off school grounds.  The use of technology like cell phones and other security devices capture these events and hence they’re publically displayed.  Statistics show that violent altercations are decreased in schools, however technology has made it more prevalent in mainstream.        

Rate Per 1,000 Students Ages 12-18

Anonymous, . Are Zero Tolerance Policies Effective in the Schools? An Evidentiary Review and Recommendations. (2008). The American Psychologist, 63(9), 852.  Retrieved March 17, 2011, from Criminal Justice Periodicals. (Document ID: 1843435621).

http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=983

http://www.crf-usa.org/school-violence/causes-of-school-violence.html

http://www.wholechildeducation.org/about/safe/

Do violent video games influence negative behavior in adolescents?

Violence in schools is a growing epidemic in today’s times.  Why is it that violence in schools is being portrayed more extensively today than it has in the last 10-15 years?  Many individuals are concerned with video games influencing adolescent’s behavior negatively, causing them to “act out” the character represented in the video game.  Adolescents are typically expressing this type of behavior on school grounds or in their neighborhoods.  Research studies have shown that adolescents who are exposed to violent video games tend to illustrate more aggression during daily activities compared to those who are not.  

This graph illustrates that students with high hostility involved in physical altercations/fights were prone to playing violent video games.

 Further studies show that more and more adolescents are being treated for anger management than ever before and that this is linked to violent video games.  Video games in general have been shown to cause symptoms of addiction, which will in turn cause focus to deter from reality.  In adolescent years, this addiction can cause social confinement and lack of participation in school.  This can have a significant impact on the overall mental stability of the adolescent.  When this addiction is mixed with violent video games it can have an overwhelming impact on the individual and their surroundings. 

With recent video game technology, graphics and simulations are coming more life like.  For example, in older video games when someone was killed they would disappear, now when someone is killed there is blood and a life like simulation of how that person would really die.  An article discusses that the teens involved in the horrific Columbine incident, had strong ties to the video game Doom.  This video game was originally developed for the training of military personnel, but became a popular mainstream video game for adolescents.  The teenagers created their own version of Doom, which replicated what happened at Columbine.  There are also many other references linking violent video games to aggressive behavior in adolescents.              

Studies from National Institute of Neurological Disorders (NIND), show that adolescents who are exposed to violent video games become more desensitized from violence in the “real world.”  This causes the adolescent to view violence as being somewhat normal and okay.  Grafman from the NIND stated that, “Continued exposure to violent videos will make an adolescent less sensitive to violence, more accepting of violence and more likely to commit aggressive acts."  When a real life situation occurs the adolescent may use violence to resolve the issue because they believe it’s normal. 

In researching this topic, violence associated with adolescents, has been linked to violent video games whether in school or in the community.  Research studies have shown a rise in aggression in adolescents who interact with violent video games.  This over exposure to violence has caused a desensitization amongst the youth.  Adolescents reenact what they learn in these video games in real life situations, which in many cases causes negative effects.       

Chai, Carmen.  (2010, October 19). Violent TV, video games can desensitize teens: study. The Gazette,A.19.  Retrieved February 23, 2011, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 2169754341).

Powell, C.. (2009). Violent Video Game Effects on Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Policy.  Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38(3), 483-485.  Retrieved February 23, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1647884061).

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1723.  Video Games:  A Cause of Violence and Aggression

Are children safe in school?

With what is portrayed in the news and media it appears that children are at risk for violence in schools, when in fact it should be a safe environment second to being at home.  In gathering data on bullying in schools, several sources proved there is violence in some schools but not all.  Some have views that schools are not dangerous places.  On the other hand, it shows that bullying is one of the main concerns in schools today and it’s a great contribution to the violence that takes place.  One of the main questions is when will schools take bullying seriously and realize that this is a contributing factor to young people’s lives?


According to Weddle, “Bullying causes real and long lasting harm to children, but most school administrators fail to address the problem until it is too late.”  It is crucial for faculty and the child’s parents to be involved in their lives and to know what is going on around them.  A zero tolerance policy for anti-bullying should be in effect for every school nationwide.  There are many children who take their lives because of this issue.  According to Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Director Bernard Melekian states, "Bullying was once viewed by some as a relatively harmless behavior that was an expected part of adolescent interaction."  Recent statistics show that 160,000 children stay at home due to bullying.  In addition, studies also show that at least half of suicides committed by adolescents are linked to bullying.

A study was done by the University of Virginia, which demonstrated the discipline violations between the years 2008 and 2009 (depicted in graph below).  A total of 1,906 public schools and over 1.2 million students were studied.  The study showed that bullying was one of the main reasons for discipline.  It was found that 6,595 students were disciplined for bullying other students when reported to the school faculty.  

The largest perception which demonstrates that schools are dangerous or violent is presented by a series of high profile cases which have captured the attention of many news headlines.  Out of approximately 1.2 million students, only 6,595 of them were found of bullying which is about equivalent to approximately 1.8 percent of the total population of the 1,906 schools. 

In researching this topic, bullying is an epidemic that is not taken seriously enough by schools (faculty), students and parents.  At least once a week there is a news story or article in the paper in relation to violence in schools.  This is a form of mental and physical abuse amongst the adolescents and something must be done to prevent permanent damage.  Violence in schools “bullying” is a harsh reality that should not be overlooked in our society.  The statistics show that a good percentage of adolescents who are bullied do not feel safe at school.         

Anonymous, . Bullying in Schools. (2010, June). FBI Law Enforcement

Bulletin, 79(6), 16.  Retrieved February 10, 2011, from Criminal Justice Periodicals.

(Document ID: 2059670671).

Daniel B Weddle.  (2003, October). When will schools take bullying seriously? Trial, 39(10), 18-20,22-25.  Retrieved February 10, 2011, from Criminal Justice Periodicals. (Document ID: 459490701).

http://youthviolence.edschool.virginia.edu/violence-in-schools/virginia-statistics.html

http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html