A Focus on Effective Strategies for Violence Prevention (2001)

Resource Violent and Aggressive Youth: Intervention and Prevention Strategies for Changing Times by F. Bemak & S. Keys; Sage; 2000; 106 pages, $18.95 paperback, $43.95 hardcover. Tragic and violent episodes in several schools across the country have challenged traditional thought that schools are a safe place for children. The roots of violent behavior, poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, dysfunctional families, and discrimination have created enormous problems not only in society, but also in schools (Keys, 2000). Enhanced connections among schools, families, and communities can lead to a marked reduction in problems facing youth today, and this includes the pervasive problem of violence in schools. Schools can better address violence, which is a barrier to learning and teaching, and promote positive development when they are an integral part of their community. In turn, families and members of the community can address issues of violence and strengthen the fabric of family and community life by working in partnership with schools (Taylor & Adelman, 2000). Collaborative models of confronting problems with youth and families offer a new opportunity for school counselors to work in harmony with mental health professionals as essential partners in school-community-family violence prevention efforts (Keys, 2000). In Violent and Aggressive Youth: Intervention and Prevention Strategies for Changing Times, Bemak and Keys report how schools today seem to be unpredictable and volatile, where no one is sure when the next episode of violent behavior will occur. The authors provide information on national trends regarding violent episodes in schools, describe the environments in which someone is at risk for violent and aggressive behavior, and present violence prevention and intervention strategies. The professionals targeted for this information are school counselors as well as other school staff. The book begins by presenting recent, comprehensive statistical reports of violence in schools across the United States. The authors noted the need to be cautious when using published statistics on violence in schools because they can be misleading, depending upon the definition of violence used. In addition, there is variation in what constitutes a violent act, and there seems to be a lack of consistency in the way data are reported on violence in schools. Bemak and Keys then discuss the varying effects of violence on the whole school environment including counselors, teachers, staff, and students. They go on to discuss possible causal factors of violent incidents in school, including personality factors of the individual who is acting out, modeling and social learning from peer groups, school factors, community factors, and family factors. Related to these factors, the authors suggest ways a school counselor might begin to target each of these areas that contribute to fostering violent behavior. Bemak and Keys encourage creating offensive, violence-prevention strategies rather than defensive, reactive strategies. The idea of implementing strategies that affect multiple contexts is regarded by the authors as very important. Attempts to create violence prevention programs should not only target multiple contexts, but should use multiple skills such as problem solving, conflict resolution, verbal and nonverbal communication, assertiveness, anger management, and general social skills. The authors emphasize that onedimensional, short-term programs are not effective. Rather, long-term programs are more successful when opportunities are provided for continual practice and reinforcement of new skills. The next part of the book concentrates on the school counselor and how he or she should respond when violent situations arise. Bemak and Keys recommend that the counselor needs to be prepared and ready to respond appropriately during a violent episode. The authors describe how to gain the trust of a hostile and aggressive person in order to defuse a potentially violent situation. …