A study to describe, if any, the differences in causative factors of violence in the schools as perceived by students, parents, and the community

Abstract

Violence in our schools is an issue that has long been a concern in educational institutions in America. Historically, violence has always existed in schools. With the recent and frequent assaults on students and staff that draws the attention of the media, the issue of violence has moved to the forefront. There has been a movement from simple "bullying" and verbal assaults to more violent acts such as murder. As is the case, with other issues, many schools ignore the fact that these acts are occurring right in our own back yards. The truth of the matter is that these acts need to be dealt with. The success or failure of our educational systems relies on that fact. Given the fact that there is violence in our schools, and given the fact that it is becoming more frequent and severe, educational systems need to be conscientious of the violence and must be willing to do something about it's causes so that we may create an educational environment conducive to learning. To generalize this concern back to the entire school population is not taking into account the differences that may exist. Geography, economics, environment, structure of the schools, and the family, among other influences, all play a role in the development of our children. These influences on our students' lives play an important role in how they behave in society and in controlled atmospheres. There are several questions that need to be answered in the search for an educational environment where students feel safe and where actual learning takes place. By answering these questions based on what the students, parents, and community believe, we as educators would hope to improve the educational process and thus make schools a safe learning environment for all. We need to pay special attention to the issues that surround and affect us locally. We need to answer questions about violence as they affect our children and school personnel. What's more, we need to use the information that would be collected to implement a model violence prevention program. We would continue to monitor and revise the program in an effort to provide students with a safe school environment that would promote active learning. The purpose of this study is to perform a comprehensive review of the literature and to analyze and critique causes of violence in the school as perceived by students, parents, and the community and to formulate a set of recommendations for the prevention and remediation of violence in schools.