This article reviews the history of violence in the schools, which is of significant concern, particularly in urban areas. Types and frequencies of violence in schools are presented, along with student, familial, and school factors that are related to school-based violence. Impacts on psychological functioning and the educational process for students are discussed. Strategies are then presented that administrators, teachers, support, and counseling staff can use to decrease the likelihood of violence.The basic right to education for youth in the United States is being hammered away at on a daily basis, by fear of crime and violence taking place in schools. In many communities, schools are no longer the safe havens where children learn, build social relationships, and prepare for the future as productive, successful adults. Increasingly, there is growing public recognition and concern about the toll violence is taking on students, teachers, and school administrators.Particularly in urban areas, in response to levels of violence, many schools are at the point at which metal detectors are at the doors and the presence of "school police" is becoming common-AUTHORS'NOTE: Beth S. Warner and Mark D. Weist were supported in part by Project No. MCJ24SH02-01-0 from the Office of
Children's mental health needs continue to be largely unmet, even when community services are provided. On-site mental health services in schools address unmet needs by improving access to, and relevance of services. As schools have increasingly been mandated to serve the needs of all children (including those who are emotionally disturbed) general health and mental health services have been increasingly placed in them. Although the provision of basic health care in schools began in the early part of the century, the concept of providing comprehensive services, in which mental health services are integrated into primary medical care, has only been implemented recently. We review the background of school-based mental health services, compare various models of service delivery, and highlight issues important to the future development and advancement of these services.
This pilot study assessed the treatment outcome of mental health services for high school students enrolled in a school-based health clinic in Baltimore. Compared to students receiving no mental health treatment (n = 34), treated students (n = 39) showed improvements in self-concept and decreased depression scores following the receipt of individual therapy services (augmented for some students with group therapy). While depression scores decreased for the treatment group, they actually increased for students in the comparison group. Students in the treatment group also showed nonsignificant decreases in anger and anxiety. Implications for the future development of school-based mental health services are discussed.
Expanded school mental health (ESMH) programs address the limitations of traditional mental health agencies in meeting the needs of youth by providing a full range of services in a familiar and nonstigmatizing setting. Because of the central role families play in the lives of children, their involvement in ESMH can enhance the effectiveness of treatments and ensure that services are responsive to the needs of the larger community. Increasing family involvement, however, is a complex and resource-intensive endeavor, and requires consideration of the goals of the ESMH program and potential obstacles to meeting those goals. The challenges of involving family members in ESMH, guidelines for determining the program's goals with respect to family involvement, and strategies for achieving these goals are described. Underlying the strategies is the need to be flexible, creative, and respectful of the beliefs and concerns of the families served by the ESMH program.
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