Reducing School Violence

Violence seems to be on the rise among young people in school. Fighting, attacks and shooting are becoming more and more common all the time. Parents and communities need to take the steps to improve family and school relationships in order to create a happy, healthy environment for students that will result in less violence and more success for students everywhere. Only when parents, teachers, religious and community leaders work together will there be a dramatic reduction in harmful school violence.

It is important to note that the most common reason for school violence is low self-esteem. Students who perpetrate school violence tend to have low self-esteem. Often these young people have been the victims of verbal abuse throughout their childhood at home, at school or both. All parents, teachers and students need to learn the importance of treating other people with respect. As human beings we all have our differences and we don't always "like" everyone, but there is no excuse for verbal abuse or "put downs", not even under the guise of "joking around". Schools that implement a zero tolerance policy on "teasing" have a tendency to report far fewer incidences of school violence than those where this behavior is ignored or even encouraged.

It is important for educators to be on the lookout for symptoms that a child is being verbally or physically abused at home and file the proper reports. All children need proper love and nurturing in their homes to become responsible productive adults. Teachers should also be aware that a kind word from them can make all the difference to a child suffering from abuse or neglect. Often the most difficult children to deal with need the most approval and support. Telling a child you are proud of them can help to encourage more positive behavior and change the path of a person's life. You never know when you will be the one person, the only person, who ever gave them a reason to believe in themselves and try.

School violence has tragic consequences for everyone involved whether it is abusive behaviors at school that make people feel unsafe and destroys their self-esteem or shootings that take the lives of innocent people and shake up entire communities and even the whole country. School violence is something that affects everyone whether they are in school, have children or grandchildren in school, or not. The world does not feel like a safe place to be when children are being killed in school.

Community and religious leaders can also be on the lookout for destructive behaviors at a young age. They can help provide parenting classes and resources to help parents deal with stress and provide a stable environment for children. They can also encourage the zero tolerance policy in schools. Neighbors can also shoulder some of the responsibility. People need to stop minding their own business and report suspected child abuse before it is too late. Ending school violence should be a priority for everyone and only when everyone works together will this problem be solved.