Purpose The author's purpose for writing this article is to examine approaches to school-based violence prevention that are most promising and those that may not be effective. Also the authors wanted to show the readers nine critical ingredients of promising approaches to violence prevention. Concluding the article the authors discussed the need for more evaluation of violence prevention programs. Summary The United States has the highest violence rate in the world. Violence is a tangible expression of unresolved conflict.
Violent behavior ranges from bullying and verbal abuse, through fighting, to rape and homicide.
Schools are interested in reducing the daily disruptions such as name calling, bullying, and general intimidation, which brings a negative climate to the schools. Fifteen experts have found nine critical elements of promising violence prevention programs. The first element is the multifaceted approach that includes family, peer, media, and community help. The experts say this element is critical. Researchers also say that students who feel strongly towards their family, community, and school are at a lower risk for violence.