Keeping the Peace at School
Kids are bullying each other, assaulting
teachers, and bringing guns to school. What are schools doing to stop youth
violence? A growing number are turning to conflict-resolution programs.
Violence prevention comes in a variety of shapes and sizes: It can be peer
mediation, life-skills training, or anger management. But at its core, each
program attempts to teach children one thing -- how to resolve their
conflicts peacefully.
School Violence Prevention Check List
Many of us are wondering what we can do as parents, educators, and students
to ensure school safety. The first step is to know what questions to ask
about safety at your school. Here is a school violence prevention checklist
from the Department of Education.
*What To Look For -- Key Characteristics of Responsive & Safe Schools*
- Does my school have characteristics that:
- ___ Are responsive to all children?
*What To Look For -- Early Warning Signs of Violence*
- Has my school taken steps to ensure that all staff, students, &
families:
- ___ Understand the principles underlying the identification of early
warning signs?
- ___ Know how to identify & respond to imminent warning signs?
- ___ Are able to identify early warning signs?
*What To Do -- Intervention: Getting Help for Troubled Children*
- Does my school:
- ___ Understand the principles underlying intervention?
- ___ Make early intervention available for students at risk of
behavioral problems?
- ___ Provide individualized, intensive interventions for students with
severe behavioral problems?
- ___ Have schoolwide preventive strategies in place that support early
intervention?
*What To Do -- Crisis Response*
- Does my school:
- ___ Understand the principles underlying crisis response?
- ___ Have a procedure for intervening during a crisis to ensure safety?
- ___ Know how to respond in the aftermath of tragedy
