Another way that drugs affect violence in the schools is through drug sales and related activities. Disputes between rival dealers, between dealers and buyers, and even between rival gangs, can set the stage for fighting and violence. Students involved in drug-related activities may be more likely to carry weapons. Even if a conflict arises that has nothing to do with drugs, the presence of weapons raises the stakes. Conflict relates to drugs.
Drugs relate to gangs.
Gangs relate to violence, and so on. Efforts to prevent drug abuse can have an impact on decreasing conflict and violence as well. Whether the parents are involved or not, educators need to be aware of the resources for addressing conflict that exist within the school. Parents, children are exposed to both real and simulated depictions of violence and other crime in many ways. They find it on television, in movies, in newspapers, on the radio, on the Internet, in plays, in neighborhoods, in homes, in schools, at athletic events, in video games, in music, on the road, and in many other places.