School Violence on the Rise-What Parents and Teachers Should Know

It is hard to forget the media headlines and coverage of the Columbine shooting nearly a decade ago. Nor is it easy to forget the Virginia Tech disaster or the incredibly long list of school shootings and disasters all over the news.

The headlines are seemingly continually peppered with unfortunate and violent school disasters. Many schools have resorted to the implementation of metal detectors and X-rays. Even in small town schools and more suburban districts, dogs are often brought in to sniff out drugs.

It is somewhat amazing for many of us who grew up in secure school settings to imagine such disasters taking place so routinely in American schools.

When violence in school used to mean a fist fight on the courtyard, today's world has certainly changed over the past several decades.

School violence is something many educators and school administrators have had first hand experience dealing with.

Bullying alone has caused problems for more than 3 million young people throughout the United States (crf-usa.org)

One way to prevent school violence that has proven to be providing alternatives for students.

Many schools have paired teachers, parents, administrators, social workers, and other psychological professionals together and have started programs to educate students on alternatives to violent acts.

Such programs are often referred to as Conflict Resolution Programs. The programs are designed to help students control their emotions that are the result of conflict. The violent action that results is typically the students' only known response to dealing with conflict. Educators are currently on the move to promote other ways of dealing with conflict.

Most of the programs focus on developing strong communication and problem solving skills. The goal is to keep individuals safe, healthy, alive and better managers of problems. These skills are not only necessary to survive school; they also help students to be more global citizens in a very multicultural world.

One example has taken place at Roosevelt High in San Francisco.

Students have been learning about racism and how to deal with it. Rather than keeping this problem under the covers, educators have used the problem as a teachable one. They have explored causes, effects, as well as how to properly deal with racism. Not only has this given students a chance to gain understanding, it will also hopefully prevent further violence and issues of racism throughout the school and their home lives.

Another way to prevent school violence is through peer mediation.

Peer mediation is an approach that relies on a neutral third party to help individuals deal with conflict. Peer mediation is currently one of the most popular forms of conflict resolution.

Beginning in the 1980s, peer mediation programs were a response to increased violence in many middle and high schools.

The mediation programs were modeled after successful adult programs that involved community volunteers helping settle disputes between landlords and tenants, consumers and local merchants, or squabbling neighbors.

With peer mediation, students are taught conflict resolution techniques. Students are encouraged to come up with their own solutions to their problems, to work it out with communication rather than violent acts.

A successful peer mediation program involves all types of students as mediators. The mediators should be used in settling every type of dispute. The problem solving sessions may range from 25-30 hours total.

Another way to deal with conflict resolution in schools is through negotiation.

With negotiation, there is no independent third party. Both sides of the conflict must use agreed-upon ground rules that allow them to work toward an agreement. Both parties need to want to find a solution. They must also stand up for their own needs.

Strong communication skills are necessary for both types of conflict resolution.

For more information on any of these programs and how to incorporate them, visit crf-usa.org

School violence is often the result of a lack of prevention. By starting a program and willing to use peer mediation and negotiation, schools may find themselves less violent places.

Ignorance is often the cause of school violence, as well as frustration with how to deal with conflict. Allowing students alternative methods to approach conflict is a great way to help prevent school violence.