People are the most important component of schools, and people tend to behave as they are treated. Misbehavior results, in part, because the school environment reinforces undesirable behaviors and fails to reinforce desirable ones. Schools need to foster a positive, caring environment, where learning is valued and differences are accepted, to assure the development of each student's intellectual, social, emotional, and physical growth. Such an environment also reduces the possibility of school violence.
Students benefit from support characterized by individual kindness and consideration.
Likewise, teachers benefit from administrative support in dealing with discipline or in disputes with parents. Students express a strong preference for working in groups, and clearly prefer a school where differences are valued rather than feared. Orderly schools have a clear focus on appropriate student behavior, open communication about rules and regulations, formal discipline codes and classroom management plans, and expressed concern for students as individuals. Well-disciplined schools identify clear, concise, and relevant curriculum goals, Further, curriculum is seen as a living document, and is regularly evaluated and modified. Strategies for improving school climate and, thus, reducing or avoiding school violence include encouraging student participation in school governance, creating schools within schools, and engaging in activities that encourage greater involvement between students, parents, and the community.