School violence facts

“Students beseeched to stop being unruly”, “Parents point an accusing finger on teachers over the students ‘wild behavior”; “Two students stabbed as several others are injured in a fight that ensued in school”…These among many others are some of the headlines you have come across in one of the dailies and if you are wondering what I am talking about, this is no other than school violence.

When we hear the term school violence, most of us brush the topic away as it is less of our concern, not knowing it affects us either way. By now I know you are asking, how this is possible, yet you are done with updating your curriculum vitae as far as school is concern. Well, I would advise you to reconsider. Take a moment, do you have a brother, a sister, a cousin or even your very own children who are still going to school; these are people you are related with and if they are affected, by extension, you are too.

School violence refers to physically injuring a person(s) within the school boundary and even causing damage to school property in the long run. It can occur between students or between students and the school’s staff. In most cases it results to a lot of damage to school property for instance lockers, chairs and desks, just to mention a few. Lots of school children are injured, especially the younger ones and in extreme cases, deaths can occur.

Also, school violence has been on the rise in the world over. With parents and teachers shifting blame on who lies solely responsible for such misconduct, there has been very little that has been done to curb the situation. (Cornell, 2006) In order to help reduce this problem that has now become communal, we need first to understand the major causes of school violence. They include, but not limited to: Student attitude to the school, student – student relations, student – staff relations and parent – teacher relations.

Before students begin destroying school furniture and appliances that they use for learning, there is usually motive behind the feeling to demolish school property. One of the motives is that, most students view school as a prison and by destroying school property; they are seeking to liberate themselves. Students should be taught to understand that the school is the factory that helps turn them in to useful ladies and gentlemen; thus the need to respect it and its property.

Moreover, senior students tend to look down on their juniors and are always out to bully them. This creates a rift between the students sitting like a time bomb, waiting for something to spark it and then all hell breaks loose. (Main causes of school violence) All students should be taught to respect each other. They should learn that their juniors are their younger brothers and sisters who look up to them as role models. They therefore have a sole obligation worth emulation by their juniors.

Furthermore, the relationship between teacher and students is worrying. One would express it as that of the hunter and the hunted, with the later being the hunted. In an event the hunted becomes the hunter, results are always devastating. Strict teachers and staff always fall prey in such instances. They can be stabbed or even shot, if not mobbed by students; at the slightest provocation. The students should be taught to respect the school staff at all times. In case they feel they have been wronged, they should follow the right procedure for justice.

What’s more, sore parent – teacher relations have resulted to school violence. Most of the teachers usually hail from the same neighborhoods as their students. In the process of interacting, parents might cross paths and instead of solving their issues out of school, they decide to settle their scores by involving their children who are students in this case. In extreme instances a teacher can be framed and thus fall victim of school violence like being mobbed by the students. (Benbenishty & Astor, 2005)

Finally in order to solve this misery, teachers and parents should work together in educating the children good and positive morals. This way the students can live together in harmony without causing chaos. (Shafii & Lee, 2008)

Bibliography

Cornell, D. G. (2006). School Violence: Fears Versus Facts. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Main causes of school violence. (n.d.). Retrieved from School Violence: Weapons, Crime and Bullying: www.nssc1.org/root-cause-of-school-violence.html

School Violence in Context : Culture, Neighborhood, Family, School, and Gender. (2005). Carlifonia: Oxford University Press.

Shafii, M., & Lee, S. (2008). School Violence: Assessment, Management, Prevention. American Psychiatric Pub. Copyright.