Violence Prevention In The Schools example essay topic

School Violence: The School's Responsibility? The focus of American schools these days have so changed from the "basics" of teaching children to read, write and do arithmetic. Instead of just being an academic institution that was entrusted with teaching our children skills that would enable then to be intelligent contributing members of society, the schools are now looked at as "extensions of the community". Therefore, according to John Dewey", schools should share social burdens and be responsible for equipping children with skills necessary to survive and succeed in the community".

Schools have indeed had to modify their roles from teaching content academics to helping all students adjust to changing "radical situations" such as juvenile violence. Over the years our American culture has become more violent. Our children now substitute playing outside, neighborhood friendships and non-media activities with time watching and listening to music, videos and television oozing with violence. No matter what families try to do the message of violent or aggressive behavior is everywhere. Thus, in some way, shape or form I believe the schools should adjust and address the new demands our society has put on children. The chapter points out that beside the media influence of violence on children there are many other factors that contribute to aggressive behavior in children.

1. Excessive viewing of violence on television 2. Repeated examples of bullying behavior 3. Evidence of poor parenting such as abuse, neglect or lack of nurturing 4. History of harsh or erratic discipline at home 5.

Inability to develop friendships in schools do agree that schools need to focus on teaching children to cope in today's life as well as preparing them for the future. I don't believe that it is the sole responsibility of the schools to provide intervention and strategies for preventing violence in adolescents. However, since six to seven hours of every child's life between the ages of five and eighteen are spent at school, schools must provide for and maintain expectations of safety. As a parent, I want to know that when my child goes to school each day they are being protected and educated to avoid conflict and violence. One the other hand, I feel that schools must be very careful in their planning and implementation of conflict resolution and violence prevention programs. Research shows that only 1 percent of children in schools are potentially violent.

Also, research shows that the amount of violence in the schools has not changed that much in the last twenty years. Just because children tend to make more "verbal threats" to each other does not mean that a violent action will follow. Therefore, the programming designed to teach children to resolve conflicts before violence is important. Too much media hype exists that schools are dangerous places filled with crime and violence and if schools focus too much of their attention where it is not justified then they could potentially create problems that really do not exist.

Solving the issue of violence in the schools is a responsibility that many share. The structure of families and the morals they model, the social agencies that provide services to lower economic families, community programs that address drugs, alcohol and teen pregnancy, and positive role models all contribute to preventing violence. Even though many people say teachers "wear many hats" they cannot be fully responsible for providing all the needed "therapy" in today's society. Do we need to address violence prevention in the schools? Yes. Do we need to stress these programs as equally or more than academics?

No. Do schools need to intimidate children with so much focus on the "bad" that we scare them into being "good"? No. As other school programs such as special education, gifted services, Title 1 reading, and ESL, address needs that student minorities have, so should they address the school violence issues that arise.

It takes many hands to raise a child and no one institution can do it alone.