Despite widespread implementation in response to fears about school violence, there is little data that punitive zero tolerance policies have had a significant effect on improving school safety or student behavior. To identify more effective alternatives, nationally recognized researchers in the field of school violence have begun to look at what works and what doesn't in deterring school violence. Indeed, preventive programs, such as bullying prevention, peer mediation, or anger management, have far more data available to support their effectiveness than do technology-based fixes such as metal detectors or video surveillance cameras 2 .
Comprehensive prevention can be highly effective in a surprisingly short period of time.
Recently, a comprehensive model of preventive discipline has begun to emerge as the model most likely to successfully address the complexity of emotional and behavioral problems in schools 4 . To some degree all students require instruction in appropriate methods of solving problems. At the level of school climate, preventive programs such as bullying prevention and conflict resolution teach all students alternatives to violence for resolving conflict. Early Identification and Intervention. The tragic school shootings of the last three years have highlighted the importance of attending to early warning signs of violence.