Example of How to Write an Essay
Topic: What Causes Violence in
Schools?
School
violence is one of the social issues these days that is demanding corrective
attention every passing day. Youth violence coupled with the school violence is
demanding high attentions from the high-ups and is a matter of grave concern in
every sector of U.S. society. And for no other reason than the very basic fact
that schools are the factories of future entrepreneurs and of course the future
of a country depends on the proper education of the children studying in the
schools. But unfortunately these very basic foundations are beginning to have
cracks and therefore need immediate attention from the society as a whole. No
community, whether affluent or poor, urban, suburban, or rural, is immune from
its devastating effects. In the decade extending from roughly 1983 to 1993, an
epidemic of violent, often lethal behavior broke out in this country, forcing
millions of young people and their families to cope with injury, disability, and
death (Cook & Laub, 1998). The period of violence left it’s physical as well as
the mental marks on the victims, perpetrators, and their families and friends.
This violence even encompassed entire communities and the United States as a
whole.
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The above mentioned grave concern is not based on some hypothetical example but
on real terms. Statistics (Snyder, 2000)show that in 1999, there were 104,000
arrests of people under age 18 for a serious violent crime--robbery, forcible
rape, aggravated assault, or homicide. Out of the 104000 arrested people. The
results are horrifying that out of the 104000 arrests nearly 1,400 were for
homicides committed by adolescents and, on occasion, even younger children
(Snyder & Sickmund, 1999). American Psychological Association (1996) has tried
to learn the root causes of violence especially among the children. The findings
of the research show that violence is learned, identifying some violence exposed
risky factors that children face. The reason for aggression among the school
children is mostly in the way the child was grown in its early years. It was the
role of the early years in a child’s life that prevention programs start early
in childhood and continue throughout adolescence.
CAUSES OF SCHOOL VIOLENCE
The problem of violence in schools has many faces with each face of plenty of
expressions. The following factors have been identified as the main caused of
school violence.
Family Violence
Family violence is one of the basic most reason why most children indulge into
violent behavior at school. Children whose needs for a loving and stable
environment are not met at an early age are at risk for lack of attachment and
empathy for others. Children from violent homes do not learn appropriate ways of
dealing with conflict and have little tendency to do so in the future as well.
Weinhold (2000) identifies three primary predictive family factors that result
or contribute in violence. These are a lack of solid bonding/attachment with the
young child, poor supervision and neglect of the child’s needs and acceptance
and modeling of aggressive behaviors by parents or other older family members.
Economic Conditions
Economic conditions mean whether the children come from poor or rich families.
An increasing number of children live in poverty. Parental unemployment, less
opportunity for skilled jobs, and low wage jobs result in economic pressure on
the family and thus violent behavior from the parents.
Unstable Environment
Given the instability of the surroundings of a child, the child takes on a
defensive attitude thus leading to violence often in their pro-active defense in
order to minimize the effects of the instability and uncertainty of their
environment. Children struggling with the demands of single parenting without
supports, separation and divorce, and the trend away from the close support of
the extended family create lack of stability for children.
School factors
The amount of adult supervision is directly tied to the frequency and severity
of bullying in schools. A negative school climate where negative behavior gets
most of the attention encourages the formation of cliques and bullying. Some
teachers threaten, tease, shame or intimidate students to maintain control of
their classroom. The learning environment can be poisoned by bullying and
put-downs, raising the fear and anxiety of all students. Lack of early
identification & intervention programs. Bullies can be identified as early as
pre-school.
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Lack of self-esteem
Self-esteem is something that lifts a person’s morale and his respect for others
as well. A morally high thinker also thinks good of others. Low self-esteem is
characterized by feelings of powerlessness and worthlessness. Involvement in
violent activities and crime may compensate for these feelings. So, too, may
gang involvement as a young person seeks acceptance by peers.
Media Portrayal of Violence
Modern entertainment of movies, videos, music, television, or video games
increasingly shows violence. This constant and consistent exposure to violence
seeps into the unconscious of the children also. Moreover, these violent media
are also available now to the children also increasing the tendency for violent
behavior.
Legal System
Young Offenders' Act has been introduced which is based on the premise that
young people may make errors in judgment and do deserve a chance for
rehabilitation or a second chance. This has resulted in letting free the fear
children have previously for the imprisonment or legal action. They feel they
can get away with it on second chance basis or such.
Community Factors:
Schools in poor urban neighborhoods experience more violence in and around the
schools because urban places do not have strong community sense. People feel
less safe in neighborhoods where there is evidence of crack houses and drug
dealing and related violence. Children often fall pray to the drug dealers or
bad people who use these children for their ends and means.
Classism, Ethnocentrism, Racism, Sexism, Homophobia:
Another very important factor that results in violent behavior at schools is the
discrimination based on differences between individuals and groups is a source
of tension and can result in aggression or violence. Students seem to be more
aware of the resulting subtle forms of violence and intimidation than are their
teachers or parents. And they demonstrate the reactions somehow in their violent
behaviors. Children do not have clear lines of reasoning but they note the
behavior more closely in the people. More than this they note any discriminatory
behavior in others towards them.
CONTROL OF THE VIOLENCE
The very basic requirement for preventing school violence is a positive school
climate. Procedures and controls alongwith strong leadership of teachers is
vital for preventing school violence. Students need to feel a sense of community
and ownership in the school to consider non-indulgence in any sort of
destruction behavior. A school should have a climate in which staff, students,
and parents feel safe and welcome, victims of violence may find the healing
process easier as the school reestablishes its supportive and secure atmosphere.
Russell J (2000) has identified eight factors that need to be considered
incorporation by the educationists in order to rid of violence. These conditions
basically serve the purpose of increasing the sense of community and nationhood
among the students. These are: belonging, community, and participation; sense of
accomplishment; heroes; curiosity and creativity; spirit of adventure; fun and
excitement; leadership and responsibility; and self-confidence. Similarly, F.
Marsh describes that the school children who takes active part in the acts of
violence can be treated and controlled in hundreds of ways.
The hidden elements of the culture of violence identified by F. Marsh needs to
be addressed and spread as awareness to the masses urgently. These are a) the
lack of understanding of the systemic nature of violence, b) a dominator value
system that supports violence, c) an over-focus on negative behaviors, d) the
pervasiveness of violent behavior, e) a collective denial of the effects of
violence.
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K. Weinhold has also introduced the public with the “culture of violence.”
Unless a nation is able to change its course, it is surely headed for more
collisions with this iceberg that cause the deaths of innocent people. The goals
of any study trying to find out the causes of school violence should concentrate
on the hidden elements of the culture of violence, the pervasive nature of
violence in the world, explanation of how violence at school can be a part of a
larger pattern of violence that is fed by the culture of violence, and should
recommend proper lines of action.’ Randall (1974) describes that for conflict
theory, the basic insight is that human beings are sociable but conflict-prone
animals. There is conflict because violent coercion is always a potential
resource for achieving the individual goals and means, and it is zero-sum sort.
The reasons found among the children were many for their violent behaviors. At
the same time resilience prone children are also vulnerable to violent behaviors
at times. Psychological research by Randall (1974) suggests that resilience
among the children cater to in the early experiences that counter the negative
effects of violence.
It has been shown that the positive experiences of a child such as choosing a
role model develop self-esteem and hope for the future. Research also indicated
that exposure to televised violence as well as in the movies increases
significantly the chances of occurrence of violence in our society. American
Psychological Association (1996) discusses that the exposure of a child through
television is but one of the ways violence is learned as well as practiced later
on. There is too much excitement for one to leave a country and go abroad to
learn table manners, conversation manners as well case. They found out that the
process by which violence is taught is circular. School / youth violence
prevention programs must start early in the lives of the children, educate
parents and other caregivers, consider the tendency for antisocial behavior
among the school children.
Walker, Walker, Janet (2000) has discussed that other factor that can be used to
prevent school violence is to develop a written school safety plan. The school
management should draft, approve and enforce legally mandated safety drills,
regularly scheduled school safety audits and evaluations, a student apparel
policy, a school wide discipline plan, and a closed campus. Surgeon General.
(2001) researched and demonstrated that prevention programs for school violence
can be effective in early as well as later stages of childhood. But at the same
time it is also known that in the past, many well-intentioned youth violence
prevention programs were found to have been ineffective on youths.
References
Cook, P. J., & Laub, J. H. (1998). The unprecedented epidemic in youth violence.
In M. Tonry & M. H. Moore (Eds.), Youth violence. Crime and justice: A review of
research (Vol. 24, pp. 27–64). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Snyder, H. N. (2000). Special analyses of FBI serious violent crimes data.
Pittsburgh, PA: National Center for Juvenile Justice.
Snyder, H. N., & Sickmund, M. (1999). Juvenile offenders and victims: 1999
national report (NCJ 178257). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office
of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
[Also available on the World Wide Web: http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/nationalreport99/
toc.html]
Quaglia, Russell J (2000)Making an Impact on Student Aspirations: A Positive
Approach to School Violence. NASSP Bulletin, v84 n614 p56-60 Mar 2000
Walker, Hill M.; Eaton-Walker, Janet (2000) Key Questions about School Safety:
Critical Issues and Recommended Solutions NASSP Bulletin, v84 n614 p46-55 Mar
2000
United States. Public Health Service. Office of the Surgeon General. (2001).
Youth violence : a report of the Surgeon General Executive Summary. Washington,
D.C.: Dept. of Health and Human Services, U.S. Public Health Service. (HQ 799.2
.V56 U561 2001 Summ. Reference).
http://www.bctf.bc.ca/education/health/ViolenceInSchools/causes.html
American Psychological Association, Washington, DC. (1996) Is Youth Violence
Just Another Fact of Life? Some Kids Resilient; Some Kids at Risk. Clarifying
the Debate: Psychology Exmaines the Issues. American Psychological Association,
750 First Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20002.
Brice F. Marsh , Computer Sciences Corporation Teenagers Identify Causes of
Violence in Schools and Develop Strategies to Eliminate Violence Using
GroupSystems Electronic Meeting System (EMS)
Barry K. Weinhold, Ph. D Bullying and School Violence: The Tip of the Iceberg
Collins, Randall (1974) The Basics of Conflict Theory Conflict Sociology. New
York: Academic Press, pp.56-61.
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