School Violence Prevention Facts

School shootings with mass killings have left parents, students and educators fearful of school violence in their communities. Preventing violence is the best solution to saving lives. Prevention involves more than one technique and in schools means that educators and administrators must work together to develop programs and recognize at-risk students.

The Gun-Free Schools Act was passed in 1994 and requires that schools that receive federal funds suspend any student that brings a firearm onto school grounds for at least one year. The law also requires school systems to refer students that violate the law to criminal justice officials. Individual states have more mandates that further address school violence prevention mechanisms. For example, the School Violence Prevention Act in North Carolina requires schools to carve out strong policies to address bullying and harassment.

Screening for weapons is common place in many schools. Some schools have metal detectors in place. Other schools have hired security officers or police officers to roam the halls and watch for weapons and other signs of violence. Schools are conducting random searches of lockers and student back packs to check for weapons, and drugs. Some schools have adopted policies like requiring students to carry a clear back packs to classes.

Schools are also profiling students that seem to have violent tendencies. Teachers and administrators watch for signs of violence and report the student for closer watch. This method isn't proven however and critics argue these students rarely actually commit violence. Other programs offer counseling to students that have discipline problems or signs of emotional problems. These programs work on the premise that students with behavior problems act out for need of attention and might resort to violence.

Some educational programs target the students with behavioral and emotional problems while others are geared to the entire school. These often take place in the classroom or in school assemblies and focus on topics like what to do if you're the victim of a bully and general moral lessons that are aimed to make students better citizens. Bullying is a huge problem in many schools that leads to more violence. These programs teach students what life is like as the victim of a bully to make students think twice before being a bully.