We need to teach our children that violence whatever its form will no longer be tolerated. Children first learn violent behaviors by witnessing domestic violence. Nearly one million incidents of domestic violence are reported in this country each year. No one knows how many incidents go unreported, but experts believe there may be as many as four million annually. While most domestic violence is spousal abuse, the effects of domestic violence are felt profoundly by all members of the family.
Schools have many roles to play in preventing violence.
First, like social workers, teachers are trained to be alert to signs of abuse. When the child is the victim, teachers are required to report it. But teachers should also be alert to the possibility that a child is living in an abusive home, and should contact social services to ameliorate the situation. Second, the media violence that surrounds children, whether on television or in movies and video games, must not be welcome in the classroom. The things children read and see, and more importantly, the ways they are treated by their teachers and are taught to treat one another, must model tolerance and nonviolent conflict resolution.