The Role of Pediatricians in the Reduction of Violence in the School M. Joycelyn Elders, MD In America today, the little red school house is but a dream. In the real world of our nation, every two days the equivalent of a classroom of children is killed by firearms.
Homicide is the third leading cause of death for elementary and middle school children.
Nationwide, one-quarter of all suspensions from school were for violent incidents committed by elementary school students. About three million crimes occur on or near school property each year. We have a problem. From overt forms of physical violence to verbal violence such as threats and belittling comments, and to exclusion behaviors such as being left out on purpose, violence is all to common in our schools. It is the more extreme forms of physical violence that capture the attention of both schools and communities while less obvious forms of physical violence and non-physical violence are pretty much brushed off.