Although many schools are hiring guards, adding permanent police officers to their staffs, and installing metal detectors, they can and must do more. It is not enough to fortify the gates of the school. We must transform schools into places that teach children to control our violent nature and to change the self-destructive path we are speeding down out of control. By facing school violence as a challenge and as a responsibility, maybe we can make schools safer and, even better, change society as a whole. These are lofty goals, but we should not settle for anything less.
Students behave violently to express anger or frustration, to show off, or to protect themselves.
Throughout their lives, children have learned how to express their feelings by observing their parents and teachers, as well as the Power Rangers, Roseanne, Bart, and Beavis and Butt-Head. The more tools students have to choose from to meet their needs and to express their feelings, the greater the likelihood they will use them. Skills in conflict resolution, peer mediation, anger control, and Discipline With Dignity are examples of existing programs that teach alternatives to violence. Teachers can teach their students positive skills both for preventing disruptive events and for dealing with the consequences of violent encounters. Teach students how to make more effective choices .