School Violence Programs
There is no doubt that preventing school violence takes educators, parents and students working together. Many school systems experiencing financial cuts this year will see many of the school violence programs cut in order to halt spending. Experts feel that this "3 steps forward 2 steps back" approach will only hinder the steady decline that has been occurring in schools for the last decade.
Luckily, there are many school violence programs that offer a bridge between parents, students and the teachers in the classroom. The CDC in efforts to prevent juvenile deaths due to violence offers thorough educational materials, teacher resources, lessons plans and parent resources to help juveniles avoid violence as a solution. For teachers and parents interested in participating can download the "Best Practices for Youth Violence Prevention: A Sourcebook of Community Action." This includes major, proactive ways that school systems and communities can utilize mediation programs, peer mentoring, communication skills and educational materials to curb violence in the school system. The program fosters social development and gives multiple examples of ways educators can help reduce school violence. Dubbed as one of the most complete school violence programs, the program bridges the often-wavering connection between teachers, parents and the children that they share.
School violence programs should definitely not be cut from fiscal school budgets. Doing so only puts teachers and students at risk. The FBI reports that since the Columbine shootings, school safety efforts, drug awareness, and non-violent anthems have made a massive difference in the amount of violence seen in US schools. Ceasing to provide this information, especially to high-risk school districts can cause a backward trend that could prove fatal to some students.
School violence programs should also include the discussion of hot button issues that often spark violence among students. Among them, religion, media, peer pressure and the lack of disciplinary measures. Sadly, programs designed to help with these issues as well as trained staff members to deal with the emotional and psychological needs of the student body are quickly being axed from school programs. If your school suffers from high incidences of school violence and is host to a variety of ethnic, religious and race diversity - you have a responsibility to take action.
Finding a school violence program that is geared to the total sociological development of children should be the number one factor. The continuous integration of healthy extra curricular activities and increasing awareness and communication skills for students can easily be added to classroom worksheets and should be a highly regarded teacher resource. While skeptics to school violence programs seem to think that they make little different, the truth will be revealed when schools begin cutting valuable civic programs from the curriculums.