Successful violence prevention strategies are ones that address the issue of violence as a community wide issue. Not any one entity within the community has the tools or the ability to successfully address issues of violence prevention on their own. The most effective prevention strategies are comprehensive in nature and engage families, schools, communities, and peers in a collective effort to address factors affecting issues of violence in the community. Schools play a fundamental role in the communities' response to violence prevention. Not only because of the role schools can play in the lives of children and families, but also because it is one of the places that children can be victimized.
Children come to school in a wide variety of states and at different levels of preparedness.
We know that children at risk of future violent behavior are also at risk of school failure. Generally many of these youth are characterized by a lack of commitment to school, have friends who engage in problem behaviors, are academically behind, and have low neighborhood attachment. In order to address these issues, schools need to think in broader terms about their role in the community and about how they address the individual needs of children in the school environment. Schools have begun to evaluate their role within the community in addressing these issues. Many schools are examining their organizational approach to providing services in an attempt to change school ecology, increase parental and community involvement, promote the development and communication of positive school policies, and enhance the overall school philosophy around combating youth violence and school failure.