Individual factors like poor academic performance, unstructured free time, and certain personality traits can lead to school violence. Environmental factors in the immediate surroundings like overcrowded schools, neglectful communities, and abusive or chaotic family lives can also influence violent behaviors. The media's influence showing violence and lack of moral messages can negatively impact children as well. Teachers need to be aware of these risk factors and implement strategies like counseling, engaging lessons, and positive reinforcement to prevent and address school violence.
This presentation was part of Embody's Safe Healthy Strong 2015 conference on sexuality education (www.ppwi.org/safehealthystrong). Embody is Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin's education and training programs. Learn more: www.ppwi.org/embody
DESCRIPTION
At the root of all abuse is the fact that someone else knows. One out of every three adolescents in the United States is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner. That means that everyone knows someone who has or will be abused in some way. This workshop introduces participants to the topics of teen dating and sexual violence. Participants will explore their awareness of abusive behaviors and warning signs common to teen dating relationships, with an emphasis on healthy relationships as well. Learn about power and control, the cycle of violence, characteristics of healthy relationships, and facts about technology abuse.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Samantha Collier founded and created TeamTeal365, a small grassroots organization established in 2009 that is dedicated to empowering, educating, advocating, and supporting ALL survivors of sexual assault.
In 2012, TeamTeal365 became an LLC. Abused as a child and raped as an adult, Samantha feels a
personal obligation to serve and be a visible witness to her community about what a sexually abused person looks like. The goal of the organization is to wrap each survivor in compassion and trust starting with the simple words, “I believe you”—words Samantha knows firsthand can help victims move from surviving to thriving. Samantha is a voice of powerful visible change. Because violence and sexual assault leaves victims living in fear, some never get the chance to realize their full potential because their pain outweighs their strengths. Samantha’s goal is to reach out to survivors of sexual violence, as well as their families, partners, and siblings, to move them from merely surviving to thriving.
Introduction To Dealing With Difficult, Defiant And Unmotivated Students Adamsbarbarafadams
As it turns out,, about 85% of the classroom disciplinary issues appear to be caused by >15% of the students. How we deal with this 15% while not disheartening and discouraging the majority of students is the key to creating a working environment for students and teachers, alike.
STUDY HABITS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF NINTH STANDARD STUDENTSThiyagu K
The main aim of the study is to find out the relationship between the study habits and academic achievement of ninth standard students. Survey method is employed for this study. The investigator has randomly chosen 210 ninth standard students for the study. The investigator has used the standardized tool for the study habits variable. The investigator has used the some of the statistical calculation for analyzing the data. The findings of the study are (1) there is no significant difference in the mean scores of study habits of ninth standard students with respect to their gender, locality and residency. And there is significant difference in the mean scores of study habits of ninth standard students with respect to their type of school. There is significant difference in the mean scores of academic achievement of ninth standard students with respect to their locality, type of management and residency. There is no significant relationship between study habits and academic achievement of ninth standard students with respect to their gender, locality and residency.
HPGS as Social Learning System for CommunityRakia Rizwan
PURPOSE OF THE PRESENTATION:
Why school, family and community partnerships are key to student learning and development
Happy Palace Group of Schools’ contribution to the society
What types of partnership programs/events/activities work best to support learning by HPGS
How HPGS achieved effective school, family and community partnerships
This presentation was part of Embody's Safe Healthy Strong 2015 conference on sexuality education (www.ppwi.org/safehealthystrong). Embody is Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin's education and training programs. Learn more: www.ppwi.org/embody
DESCRIPTION
At the root of all abuse is the fact that someone else knows. One out of every three adolescents in the United States is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner. That means that everyone knows someone who has or will be abused in some way. This workshop introduces participants to the topics of teen dating and sexual violence. Participants will explore their awareness of abusive behaviors and warning signs common to teen dating relationships, with an emphasis on healthy relationships as well. Learn about power and control, the cycle of violence, characteristics of healthy relationships, and facts about technology abuse.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Samantha Collier founded and created TeamTeal365, a small grassroots organization established in 2009 that is dedicated to empowering, educating, advocating, and supporting ALL survivors of sexual assault.
In 2012, TeamTeal365 became an LLC. Abused as a child and raped as an adult, Samantha feels a
personal obligation to serve and be a visible witness to her community about what a sexually abused person looks like. The goal of the organization is to wrap each survivor in compassion and trust starting with the simple words, “I believe you”—words Samantha knows firsthand can help victims move from surviving to thriving. Samantha is a voice of powerful visible change. Because violence and sexual assault leaves victims living in fear, some never get the chance to realize their full potential because their pain outweighs their strengths. Samantha’s goal is to reach out to survivors of sexual violence, as well as their families, partners, and siblings, to move them from merely surviving to thriving.
Introduction To Dealing With Difficult, Defiant And Unmotivated Students Adamsbarbarafadams
As it turns out,, about 85% of the classroom disciplinary issues appear to be caused by >15% of the students. How we deal with this 15% while not disheartening and discouraging the majority of students is the key to creating a working environment for students and teachers, alike.
STUDY HABITS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF NINTH STANDARD STUDENTSThiyagu K
The main aim of the study is to find out the relationship between the study habits and academic achievement of ninth standard students. Survey method is employed for this study. The investigator has randomly chosen 210 ninth standard students for the study. The investigator has used the standardized tool for the study habits variable. The investigator has used the some of the statistical calculation for analyzing the data. The findings of the study are (1) there is no significant difference in the mean scores of study habits of ninth standard students with respect to their gender, locality and residency. And there is significant difference in the mean scores of study habits of ninth standard students with respect to their type of school. There is significant difference in the mean scores of academic achievement of ninth standard students with respect to their locality, type of management and residency. There is no significant relationship between study habits and academic achievement of ninth standard students with respect to their gender, locality and residency.
HPGS as Social Learning System for CommunityRakia Rizwan
PURPOSE OF THE PRESENTATION:
Why school, family and community partnerships are key to student learning and development
Happy Palace Group of Schools’ contribution to the society
What types of partnership programs/events/activities work best to support learning by HPGS
How HPGS achieved effective school, family and community partnerships
This slideshow was prepared as part of a panel discussion for the American Public Health Association’s national conference, November 2014, in New Orleans. The subject was The Kresge Foundation’s Safety-Net Enhancement Initiative, a multiyear effort undertaken in eight communities across the U.S. (Kresge photos by Lon Horwedel)
In this presentation I discuss social media platforms that are having a breakout year so far. Trends gaining traction among apps, trends happening in social media in general, and
new technologies that are going to impact social media.
Karen Calfas at Consumer Centric Health, Models for Change '11HealthInnoventions
Mobile & Social Technologies, Applications in Health Behavior Change.
Describe studies using a social / mobile approach to weight loss
mDIET
SMART
Facebook Connect
Describe areas of focus to refine and further health behavior change
Практика внедрения проектного учета в ИТ-компании
Паньшина Татьяна, РМР
Руководитель проектного офиса ООО «Энвижн – Индустриальные решения», г. Уфа
27 ноября 2014
ORIGINAL ARTICLESchool-Based Group Interventions for Child.docxalfred4lewis58146
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
School-Based Group Interventions for Children Exposed
to Domestic Violence
E. Heather Thompson & Shannon Trice-Black
Published online: 6 March 2012
# Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
Abstract Children exposed to the trauma of domestic vio-
lence tend to experience difficulties with internalized and
externalized behavior problems, social skills deficits, and
academic functioning. Mental health practitioners in the
school setting, including school counselors, school psycholo-
gists, and school social workers, can address developmental
concerns that impede development through group counseling
interventions that include both structured activities and play
therapy. The school environment offers an ideal setting in
which to work with child survivors of trauma, as all students
have accessibility to school mental health resources. This
article outlines the primary objectives and corresponding pro-
cedures for a developmentally- appropriate group interven-
tions for elementary-aged children who have been exposed to
the trauma of domestic violence.
Keywords Domestic violence . Children . Counseling
Nearly four million children in the United States struggle
with a diagnosable mental disorder that significantly hinders
various areas of functioning which impacts their ability to be
successful at school (U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services 1999). Less than 20% of those children will get the
mental health services they need (U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services 2000). Many of the urgent mental
health needs of children are first recognized and addressed
in the school setting (Farmer et al. 2003; Salmon and Kirby
2008). Recent research indicates the importance of provid-
ing mental health services for children within their schools
in order to help them succeed academically and socially
(Baker et al. 2006; Farmer et al. 2003).
School mental health professionals often provide preven-
tive and responsive interventions to student needs (American
School Counselor Association [ASCA] 2005; National
Association of School Psychologists 2010). In fact, the
ASCA (2005) recommends that school counselors spend at
least 80% of their time in direct contact with students. Based
on this, schools counselors often are faced with the wide-
reaching problem of domestic violence which affects ap-
proximately 15 million children each year (McDonald et al.
2006). Children who reside in homes marked by domestic
violence are exposed to various forms of aggression which
may include repeated physical assaults, mental humiliation
and degradation, threats and assaults with guns and knives,
threats of suicide and homicide, and destruction of property
(McClosky et al. 1995). Investigation of the negative effects
of children’s exposure to domestic violence reveals a link
between witnessing violence in the home and a wide array of
adjustment problems. Child-witnesses of domestic violence
often experience chaotic, distressing events, of which .
Response 1I think that knowledge of the diversity topic I ch.docxwilfredoa1
Response 1
I think that knowledge of the diversity topic I chose which was behavioral problems within special education is something that is extremely topical right now. Children are being kicked out of school when teachers are unprepared to deal with their behaviors, and they are sent down a negative trajectory. In my area, this is something that happens so often I’ve literally made a practice out of it. Oftentimes, these children are in need of loving boundaries and socio-emotional scaffolding, and very often they have parents that are practicing negative parenting which leads to a lot of different pathologies across the lifespan.
If I was able to come up with a program to train teachers how to deal with kids that are acting up in class, I think it would have a positive effect on the entire class and the school climate in general. Teachers would feel better and they would be able to be the masters of their domain as opposed to exhausted. Teacher burnout is related to kids that have behaviors! Then we have the kids – who endure a lot of suffering when they are targeted by teachers, as kids that are presenting behaviors are also displaying the underlying dynamics – the behaviors are just the symptom of the problem. We need to be able to attend to them on both the behavioral and emotional levels in order to really attend to behaviors and help them stay on a positive life trajectory starting from an early age.
The family part of the intervention is also critical, because we know that negative parenting can account for a part of the behavioral issue. Either parents aren’t equipped to handle children that are able to push boundaries or they engage in negative parenting themselves, and either way an intervention needs to happen on that front as well in order to keep consistency across environments. The intervention is two-art and would contribute positively to social change because it would be helping families and especially children that may otherwise end up in worse institutions in their lives.
Response 2
Explain how knowledge of the diversity topic you chose could be used to enhance a social change initiative for children and adolescents.
· The diversity topic of choice for me is gender identity. Children and adolescents that are faced with gender dysphoria encounter so much. Not only are they shut out by the community but some are even shut out by their parents and family members. The mesosystem includes the interrelations between the major settings in which the youths find themselves, and subsequently the impact of these interrelations upon the youth. Major settings in the mesosystem include local economy and work environments, government, religion, neighborhood, and mass media (Mustanski. 2014). When a child or adolescent is experiencing gender dysphoria, the number one thing the need is to be supported. There does not need to be any biased or judgment. They need to understand that they are not "different" from their peers. One way to.
Working BibliographyAssociated Staff. Causes and Effect.docxambersalomon88660
Working Bibliography
Associated Staff. “Causes and Effects of Bullying”. Stellar Bully Project. 4 February 2011: Web. 4 Nov. 2016.
http://umshw.usd116.org/groups/stellarbullyproject/wiki/542c3/Causes_and_Effects_of_Bullying.html
Bully. Dir. Lee Hirsch. The Weinstein Company, 2011. Film.
Cornell, Dewey, et al. "Perceived prevalence of teasing and bullying predicts high school dropout rates." Journal of Educational Psychology 105.1 (2013): 138.
Kaplan Karen. Victims of bullying live with the consequences for decades, study says. Los Angeles Times. April 18 2014. Web. 4 Nov 2016.
http://articles.latimes.com/2014/apr/18/science/la-sci-sn-bullying-victims-middle-age-20140418
Kwan, Grace Chi En, and Marko M. Skoric. "Facebook bullying: An extension of battles in school." Computers in Human Behavior 29.1 (2013): 16-25.
Motiuk, Devin. Types and Possible Effects Of Bullying. Munich: GRIN Verlag GmbH, 2015. Print.
Polanin, Joshua R., Dorothy L. Espelage, and Therese D. Pigott. "A meta-analysis of school-based bullying prevention programs' effects on bystander intervention behavior." School Psychology Review 41.1 (2012): 47.
Stuart, Jeffrey. Personal Interview. 4/11/2016.
“The Impact of Bullying”. Victoria State Government Education and Training. 28 November 2013: Web. 4 Nov. 2016.
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/bullystoppers/Pages/impact.aspx
Valdebenito, Sara, Maria Ttofi, and Manuel Eisner. "Prevalence rates of drug use among school bullies and victims: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies." Aggression and Violent Behavior 23 (2015): 137-146.
Bullying in Schools
Outline
Thesis: “Bullying is one of the most widely-spread and dangerous type of violence especially in high schools. It affects the victims’ psychological and emotional state adversely and may cause terrible long term effects. Bullying in schools has never ended despite the efforts by various partners, students who participate often torment their peers and family; the behavior follows them their entire life."
Introduction
Violence experienced in almost all schools has over the time had adverse effects especially on the students’ moral behavior which shape their future lives. The schools constitute some of the places which have become the breeding ground for violence such as bullying among students. The efforts put by various schools’ stakeholders to offering a lasting remedy does not seem to bear the expected results. It increases at an alarming rate (Cornell, Dewey, et al., pg. 32). Therefore, the following research paper finds how the issue found its place in schools and its consequences among students. It is also interested in assessing the current statistics to show how it has affected different schools.
Background
First, bullying involves one form of violence that is initiated by one or more students against another who becomes the victim. It comprises of all forms of physical or psychological intimidation or harm. Bullying could be di.
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Problems of Aggressive Behaviour among Primary School Childreniosrjce
This paper identifies the issue of pupils’ indiscipline as manifested in some anti-social behaviour
among which aggression is one, especially in the primary school for a long time. This paper focuses on the
nature of aggression, causation of this detrimental behaviour (aggression). It also touches on the effects of
aggression, discussion on the process of controlling it among the individual children in both school and the
home and finally concluded with specific recommendations by the authors.
The purpose of the study was to determine the major parenting styles and their influence on senior secondary school students’ social interaction in the area. The study made use of a sample of 1517 senior secondary class 2 students. It was an expost facto design with a structured questionnaire for data collection. The instrument was pre-tested to establish its validity and reliability. The results indicated that most parents seemed to adopt authoritative parenting style in their child rearing. The study showed that parenting styles have significant influence on students’ social interaction. It was inferred that authoritative parenting enables students to have positive self-concept, self assertuion, self reliance, understanding, and creativity that lead to high performance and social competence while other parenting styles lead to anti-social behaviour. Authoritative parenting style is therefore recommended to enhance students’ social interaction. Parents, students, school authorities and Government would benefit from the study.
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the paper looks at what socialization is, how the school acts as an agent of socialization and the importance of a teacher in the process of socialization.
Similar to Factors That Cause School Violence (20)
So. Yes. I am aware that this is done not up to my current standards but this was for a business subject I did back in high school. I can't believe almost five years have passed now...I can see growth :)
A bit different from my usual uploads. But say what. Pretty basic explanations and points. Did this for a course on educational technology a while back.
This is the basic lesson (or activity) plan template that I used at the University of Trinidad and Tobago whilst doing my Bachelor's Degree in ECCE. However, I guess different templates exist for different countries and cultures right?
A Child Study on Social Interaction: Observation, Documentation, and Assessme...Christina Sookdeo
Basically a child study my group member and I did during our Practicum experience in an early childhood care and education centre. It includes anecdotes of events that happened with the child in concern and also recommendations of what can be done to improve his social skills.
Includes:
Topic, developmental level and rationale
Thematic web
Main Ideas
General Objectives
Previous Knowledge
Theoretical Underpinnings
Curriculum Strands
List of Resources
List of Skills
Evaluation Strategies
List of Activities
Activity Plan (sample)
Integration of Bird Theme into the Environment
Parental Involvement
Art Criticism on Marc Chagall’s ‘Paris through the Window’Christina Sookdeo
So...I'm no art professional and my criticism is purely my thoughts (which some can disagree with freely) so please be understanding since this was an assignment from two years ago. If it's helpful in any way then...you're welcome :)
Position paper for curriculum planning and pedagogy course. Contains topics such as: what is play, what research says about play, the benefits of play, the challenges play faces, a counterargument for concerns of learning through play and the implications for adults.
The Creative Curriculum Model (Diane Trister Dodge, 1988)Christina Sookdeo
Areas covered: Background of the model, spread of the model, philosophical perspectives, theoretical foundations, domains of development, differentiation of instruction, assessment, research base, professional development, materials and space, and parent/family/community relationships.
Social Stratification: Class, Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and SexChristina Sookdeo
Defining social stratification and discussing it's most common divisions such as race, class, gender, ethnicity, and sex. Also looks at the impact each has on education.
Target Audience: Young Children.
It includes a comic that is interrelated to the principles of shapes. Also includes activities that involve developing the concept of shapes.
Motivational theories and their applications to teaching and learning. Maslow's Hierarcy of needs, ARC's motivational theory, equity theory, expectancy theory, herzberg two factor theory.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
It is possible to hide or invisible some fields in odoo. Commonly using “invisible” attribute in the field definition to invisible the fields. This slide will show how to make a field invisible in odoo 17.
The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France. It marked the decline of absolute monarchies, the rise of secular and democratic republics, and the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. This revolutionary period is crucial in understanding the transition from feudalism to modernity in Europe.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
Students, digital devices and success - Andreas Schleicher - 27 May 2024..pptxEduSkills OECD
Andreas Schleicher presents at the OECD webinar ‘Digital devices in schools: detrimental distraction or secret to success?’ on 27 May 2024. The presentation was based on findings from PISA 2022 results and the webinar helped launch the PISA in Focus ‘Managing screen time: How to protect and equip students against distraction’ https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/managing-screen-time_7c225af4-en and the OECD Education Policy Perspective ‘Students, digital devices and success’ can be found here - https://oe.cd/il/5yV
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
This is a presentation by Dada Robert in a Your Skill Boost masterclass organised by the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS) on Saturday, the 25th and Sunday, the 26th of May 2024.
He discussed the concept of quality improvement, emphasizing its applicability to various aspects of life, including personal, project, and program improvements. He defined quality as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to achieve the best possible results and discussed the concept of the "gap" between what we know and what we do, and how this gap represents the areas we need to improve. He explained the scientific approach to quality improvement, which involves systematic performance analysis, testing and learning, and implementing change ideas. He also highlighted the importance of client focus and a team approach to quality improvement.
1. Page | 1
UNIVERSITY OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO SCHOOL FOR STUDIES IN
LEARNING COGNITION AND EDUCATION
Course Name: Contemporary Issues in Education
Course Code: CIED4001
Instructor: Mrs. Leela Ramsook
Assignment: Research Paper
Assignment Due Date: 06/05/14
Student Name: Christina Sookdeo
Student ID: 52927
2. Page | 2
Causative Factors of School Violence
While school violence may not have been a critical problem in Trinidad and Tobago a
decade or so ago, it has assumed a high profile in many of our schools today. Thus, this research
paper will focus on explaining the causative factors of school violence, and it will also outline
preventative strategies to address these issues. The term “school violence” emerged in 1992
(Eisenbraun, 2007). Throughout the research literature, school violence has been defined in
many ways with no one definition accepted as final (Furlong, Morrison, Chung, Bates, &
Morrison, 1997). Definitions of school violence represent a continuum of behaviors (Lewis,
Brock, & Lazarus, 2002) revolving around physical harm, psychological harm, and property
damage (Astor, Pitner, Benbenishty, & Meyer, 2002). However, school violence is not a
coincidence or ‘natural occurrence’, as there are factors that directly and indirectly cause this.
The causative factors of school violence will be examined in these main areas: individual factors
(poor academic performance, unstructured free time, and personality traits), environmental
factors (immediate environments including schools, communities, and families), and the
influence of media.
Each individual is responsible for their own behaviours, thoughts, and actions. However,
there are causative factors that can affect the way they behave. One of these is poor academic
performance. Poor academic performance has consistently predicted later delinquency (Maugin
& Loeber, 1996). Children often tend to compare themselves to others in order to feel a sense of
security and belonging. When a child is unable to perform well academically in comparison to
that of his or her peers, it affects his/her self-esteem, and confidence, thereby giving way to
negative notions such as anger, depression which can lead to ‘acting out’ behaviours. According
3. Page | 3
to Farrington (1989), even at a young age, academic failure in elementary school also increases
risk for later violent behavior. During what is known as the ‘sensitive period’ in the early years
of a person’s life, the experiences they have shape their personality and attitudes/beliefs that they
hold true to themselves later on in life. Therefore, if a young child who is academically ‘slower’
than his peers due to his differences in development or special needs, is often picked on or left
behind, this can lead to violent behaviours as a means to get attention or feel better. As teachers,
we can prevent these occurrences by working one-on-one with the child from a young age,
focusing on the child’s strengths instead of weaknesses, giving that child opportunity to shine
when they perform well, and using constant encouragement coupled with child-centered
strategies to target their specific needs.
Another individual factor that can cause violent school behaviours is unstructured free
time. When children are left alone in their class because of teacher absenteeism they often find
unproductive ways to bide their time. This issue is becoming more rampant in the schools in
Trinidad and Tobago as some teachers are often found late, absent, or in staff rooms during their
allocated class time. Some children need to be constantly monitored and occupied doing
productive tasks in order to keep them out of trouble. When excessive free time is given, they
may find themselves causing fights, and abusing others in order to gain attention or bide their
time. Additionally, truant youth and those who drop out of school before the age of fifteen are
more likely to engage in violent behavior which in turn affects the school they came from and
society in which they live (Maugin & Loeber, 1996). To prevent this from occurring, teachers
who know they will be late or absent must give notice beforehand in order for another teacher or
assistant to take their place for the time. Teachers must also be responsible and professional and
attend all their classes as this is their job and their commitment to the students and society.
4. Page | 4
Personality traits is also a factor that can lead to school violence. The personality of the
student proves critical in assessing the potential for violence. Certain traits of a child or
adolescent raise concern. In particular, individuals who eventually commit school homicides
exhibit behavior ‘leakage’ (Mohandie & O’Toole, 2000). This refers to a student’s intentional or
unintentional disclosure of thoughts, fantasies, feelings, and possible intentions. Examples
include boasts, predictions, subtle threats, stories, essays, poems, and drawings. Leakage also can
take the form of a fascination with violence and violent entertainment (e.g., video games and
movies). According to the American Medical Association (2001), nearly fifty percent of school
homicide perpetrators exhibit some type of warning sign, including leaving notes or making a
verbal threat. However, aside from ‘leakages’ each individual has certain personality traits that
may make them susceptible to engage in school violence. Children who are depressed, often
manifest anger and irritability. Additionally, those with low frustration tolerance, poor coping
skills, and a lack of resiliency when faced with stressful situations or conflicts (e.g., end of a
romantic relationship, betrayal of peers, peer pressure) may engage in school violence to resolve
their problems. Personality traits are embedded within an individual therefore, the teacher need
to be aware of each student’s characteristics and personalities. By being aware of this, teachers
can plan for intervention, counselling, and use strategies that promote problem-solving, self-
improvement, and peace, rather than resorting to violence.
Immediate environments including schools, communities, peer groups, and families can
exert a powerful influence on young persons' attitudes and behaviors. The population size of the
school is a factor to consider when discussing school violence. In Trinidad and Tobago, the
school population is steadily increasing in some schools, to the point of overcrowding in
classrooms, and the severe lack of resources. The teacher child ratio is above the norm and this
5. Page | 5
can lead to many more behavioural problems as students may fight for attention, space and
resources. To prevent or reduce these problems, teachers can move from the classroom
sometimes to a more open and safe space (outside of the class) where children can breathe and
function properly. They must also utilize the environment that they have to their best abilities,
use engaging and child-centered strategies, and engage in good classroom management skills.
The community from which a child comes is also a factor that can cause the display of
school violence. As with schools and families, communities can neglect children. If our
communities are not responsive to the needs of families and their children, this neglect can
develop into school violence. Children model what they see. Therefore, if a child grows up in a
community of drugs, alcohol, abuse, obscene language, and violence, this child is likely to be
influenced to do the same. However, it is important to note that not all children will engage in
school violence because of these factors. These children are often known as ‘resilient’. However
for children who are more vulnerable to these influences, their belief and value system will be
very different from those of a more morally-centered environment which may cause the teachers
and peers to be confused by their actions and reasons for the same. Teachers must be active
members of the community and interested in the life of the child outside of the school
compounds. It is very important that teachers integrate morals and values into each lesson or
activity, have students role-play situations and come up with solutions themselves, and allow
children to set rules and regulations together with the teacher to better manage behaviour and
avoid violence.
The family plays a large role in influencing a child’s behaviour. Although our culture
expects the family to deal with childhood problems, contemporary society makes it difficult for
parents to meet all their children's needs. The current economy, for example, often demands that
6. Page | 6
both parents work; more children are raised by single parents including teenage mothers; and
some children are subjected by their parents to neglect or physical, sexual, and substance abuse.
An abusive marriage or a particularly hostile divorce can have damaging effects on children. An
adolescent who lives in a chaotic and neglectful home environment may develop poor coping
and social skills and behavior problems primarily due to exposure to violence and inadequate
parenting (McCloskey, Figueredo, & Koss, 1995). Ideally, parents nurture and reinforce positive
behavior. When parents fail to do so, children may develop negative--and often violent--behavior
patterns. In addition, neglectful or abusive family environments can inhibit the development of
communication skills, and self-esteem can be seriously damaged. In homes where positive
behavior is not the norm, exposure to violence through popular culture may have a more
profound impact. Again, teachers must take an active interest in all areas of the child’s life,
including their family life. Teachers must provide a safe and secure school environment where
children can feel free to talk to others about their problems. Teachers must also understand each
child’s unique perspective and help them and their families in whatever way they can to further
the child’s educational experience.
Another factor that causes school violence in many cases, is the influence of the media.
Cyber bullying is on the rise, with students engaging in verbally aggressive behavior on social
networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, and instant-messenger services (Harmon,
2004). Adolescents are extremely sensitive to rejection and the opinions of peers, both of which
can serve as catalysts for revenge. Any bullying should be seriously assessed as it can be
indicative of more serious problems, such as weapon carrying and fighting. Violent, internet-
based video games have also grown in popularity as cyber technology becomes more
sophisticated. Computerized video games were first introduced to the public in the 1970’s.
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Today, many popular video games feature high levels of realistic violence. Researchers have
found that high school students who had more exposure to violent video games held "more pro-
violent attitudes, had more hostile personalities, were less forgiving, believed violence to be
more normal, and behaved more aggressively in their everyday lives" (Slaby, 1992). Through
television also, the media’s portrayals of violent behavior as a common and appropriate way to
solve problems lead young people to become desensitized to and accepting of violence. Teachers
must be aware of the severity of this issue and immediately attend to it. Children must be taught
the proper ways to use technology, to help their friends and to stop cyberbullying. Parents must
also play a role as they monitor what children view on the television. However, this is hardly the
case in most homes as society has become somewhat desensitized to the violence. Teachers can
hold workshops, or parent-teacher conferences, or even a family day where they can focus on
addressing the importance of this issue in regards to working towards abolishing the negative
effect of the media in the lives of their children.
It is established that no child is born violent. Children become violent due to the factors
or influences from the world they live in. Factors such as poor academic performance,
unstructured free time, personality traits, immediate environments including schools,
communities, and families, and the influence of media all contribute to school violence. To
prevent school violence, the teacher plays the main role in the life of the child. Teachers must
always encourage children’s strengths rather than weaknesses, attend all classes and teach with a
purpose to cater for each child, get to know each child individually, communicate and make a
positive impact with the child’s family and community, and guide children in using the resources
and technology they have for productive and non-harmful purposes. When these are done, and
school violence is still the outcome of the child’s behaviour children must be referred to
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specialists for proper guidance, counselling, and intervention to aid them in becoming more
productive and caring citizens.
References
A. Harmon, "Internet Gives Teenage Bullies Weapons to Wound from Afar,” New York
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Times, August 26, 2004.
American Medical Association, “School-Associated Violent Deaths in the United States,
1994-1999," Journal of the American Medical Association 286, no. 21 (2001):
2695-2702.
Astor, R. A., Pitner, R. O., Benbenishty, R., & Meyer, H. A. (2002). Public concerns and
focus on school violence. In L. A. Rapp-Paglicci, A. R. Roberts, & J. S. Wodarski
(Eds.), Handbook of violence (pp. 262-302). New York, NY: John Wiley and
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Eisenbraun, K. D. (2007). Violence in schools: Prevalence, predication, and prevention.
Aggression and Violent Behavior, 12, 459-469.
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Furlong, M. J., & Morrison, G. M. (2000). The school in school violence. Journal of
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K. Mohandie, M.E. O’Toole. School Violence Threat Assessment. (2000). San Diego, CA:
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L.A. McCloskey, A.J. Figueredo, and M.P. Koss, “The Effects of Systemic Family Violence on
Children’s Mental Health,” Child Development 66, no. 5 (1995): 1239-1261; and
J. Osofsky, “The Impact of Violence on Children,” The Future of Children 9, no.
3 (1999): 33-49.
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Lewis, S., Brock, S. E., & Lazarus, P. J. (2002). Identifying troubled youth. In S. E.
Brock, P. J. Lazarus, & S. R. Jimerson (Eds.), Best practices in school crisis
prevention and intervention (pp. 249-271). Bethesda, MD: National Association
of School Psychologists.
Maugin E and Loeber R (1996) Academic performance and delinquency. In Crime and Justice:
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Chicago, IL.
Slaby S. (1992) Television Violence: Effects and Remedies. Testimony to the U.S. House of
Representatives Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Criminal
Justice.