This article reviews the history of violence in the schools, which is of significant concern, particularly in urban areas. Types and frequencies of violence in schools are presented, along with student, familial, and school factors that are related to school-based violence. Impacts on psychological functioning and the educational process for students are discussed. Strategies are then presented that administrators, teachers, support, and counseling staff can use to decrease the likelihood of violence.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bastian, L. D. , & Taylor, B. M. (1991). School crime: A national crime victimization survey report (No. NCJ-131645). Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics.
2.
Bayh, B. (1975). Our nation’s schools—A report card: “A” in school violence and vandalism. Preliminary report of the Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency, based on investigations, 1971-1975 (ED 104 006). Washington, DC: Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Congress of the United States.
3.
Bybee, R. W. , & Gee, E. G. (1982). Violence, values, and justice in the schools. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
4.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) . (1990). Homicide among young Black males—United States, l978-1987. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 39, 869-873.
5.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) . (1991). Weapon-carrying among high school students. Journal of the American Medical Association, 266, 23-42.
6.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1996). Youth risk behaviors surveillance: United States, 1995 (No. SS-4). Atlanta, GA: Author.
7.
Center to Prevent Handgun Violence . (1990). Caught in the crossfire: A report on gun violence in our nation’s schools. Washington, DC: Author.
8.
Dornbusch, S. M. , Carlsmith, J. M., Bushwall, S. J., Ritter, P. L., Leiderman, H., Hastorf, A. H., & Gross, R. T. (1985). Single parent, extended households, and the control of adolescents. Child Development, 56, 326-341.
9.
Dykeman, C. , Daehlin, W., Doyle, S., & Flamer, H. S. (1996). Psychological predictors of school-based violence: Implications for school counselors. The School Counselor, 44, 35-47.
10.
ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management . (1981). Violence in the schools: How much? What to do? (Research Action Brief No. 17; ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 208 453). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics.
11.
Farrington, D. P. (1988). Early predictors of adolescent aggression and adult violence. Violence and Victims, 4, 79-100.
12.
Furlong, M. J. , Chung, A., Bates, M., & Morrison, R. L. (1995). Who are the victims of school violence? A comparison of student non-victims and multi-victims. Education and Treatment of Children, 18, 282-298.
13.
Furlong, M. J. , & Morrison, G. M. (1994). Introduction to miniseries: School violence and safety in perspective. School Psychology Review, 23, 139-150.
14.
Gaddy, J. R. , & Kelly, L. E. (1984). Down safe corridors: Eliminating school disruption. NASSP Bulletin, 68, 13-17.
15.
Goldstein, A. P. , Apter, S. J., & Harootunian, B. (1984). School violence. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
16.
Gordon, T. (1974). T. E. T.: Teacher effectiveness training. New York: Peter H. Wydon.
17.
Gorski, J. D. , & Pilotto, L. (1993). Interpersonal violence among youth: A challenge for school personnel. Educational Psychology Review, 5, 35-61.
18.
Gottfredson, G. D. , & Gottfredson, D. C. (1985). Victimization in schools. New York: Plenum.
19.
Haynes, N. M. (1996). Creating safe and caring school communities: Comer School Development Program schools. Journal of Negro Education, 65, 308-314.
20.
Hennings, C. (1949). Discipline: Are school practices changing?The Clearing House, XIII, 267-270.
21.
Hranitz, J. R. , & Eddowes, E. A. (1990). Violence: A crisis in homes and schools. Childhood Education, 67, 4-7.
22.
Hyman, I. A. , & Perone, D. C. (1998). The other side of school violence: Educator policies and practices that may contribute to school misbehavior. Journal of School Psychology, 36, 7-27.
23.
Ianni, F. A. (1978). The social organization of the high school: School-specific aspects of school crime. In E. Wenk & N. Harlow (Eds.), School crime and disruption. Davis, CA: Responsible Action.
24.
Jaslow, C. K. (1978). Violence in the schools (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 165 084). Washington, DC: National Institute of Education.
25.
Kingery, P. M. , Coggeshall, M. B., & Alford, A. A. (1998). Violence at school: Recent evidence from four national surveys. Psychology in the Schools, 35, 247-258.
26.
Menacker, J. , Weldon, W., & Hurwitz, E. (1990). Community influences in school crime and violence. Urban Education, 25, 68-80.
27.
Morrison, G. M. , Furlong, M. J., & Smith, G. (1994). Factors associated with the experience of school violence among general education, leadership class, opportunity class, and special day class pupils. Education and Treatment of Children, 17, 356-369.
28.
National Education Association (NEA) . (1956). Teacher opinion on pupil behavior 1955-56. National Education Association Research Bulletin, 34, 49-107.
29.
National Institute of Education (NIE) . (1978). Violent Schools—Safe schools: The Safe School Study Report to the Congress (Vol. 1). Washington, DC: Superintendent of Documents.
30.
National School Boards Association (NSBA) . (1993). Violence in the schools: How America’s school boards are safeguarding our children. Alexandria, VA: Author.
31.
Nuttall, E. , & Kalesnick, J. (1987). Personal violence in the schools: The role of the counselor. Journal of Counseling and Development, 65, 372-375.
32.
Pietrzak, D. , Petersen, G. J., & Speaker, K. M. (1998). Perception of school violence by elementary and middle school personnel. Professional School Counseling, 1, 23-29.
33.
Reiss, A. J. , & Roth, J. A. (Eds.). (1993). Understanding and preventing violence. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences.
34.
Roper, W. L. (1991). The prevention of minority youth violence must begin despite risks and imperfect understanding. Public Health Reports, 106, 229-231.
35.
Ruble, R. J. (1978). Violence in public schools: HEW’s Safe School Study. NASSP Bulletin, 62, 75-83.
36.
Shakoor, B. H. , & Chalmers, D. (1991). Co-victimization of African-American children who witness violence: Effects on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development. Journal of the National Medical Association, 83, 233-238.
37.
Steinberg, J. (1996, September19). Data show school crime is dropping. New York Times, p.B7.
38.
Ward, C. M. (1998). Student discipline and alleviating criminal behavior in the inner city. The Urban Review, 30, 29-48.
39.
Weist, M. D. , & Warner, B. S. (1997). Intervening against violence in the schools. In L. T. Flaherty & H. A. Horowitz (Eds.), Adolescent psychiatry: The Annals of the American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry (Vol. 21, pp. 349-360). Hillsdale, NJ: The Analytic Press.
40.
West, W. G. (1975). Adolescent deviance and the school, Interchange, 6, 49-55.
41.
Wilson-Brewer, R. , & Jacklin, B. (1991). Violence prevention strategies targeted at the general population of minority youth. Public Health Reports, 106, 270-271.