The Assessment of School Violence

Student violence and the moral dimensions of education

“…Dysfunctional homes are also a significant cause of children's rebellion and violent behavior (Evans & Evans, 1985). The principles of personal autonomy, community involvement, and commitment need to permeate homes if parents are to be effective in helping their children act more responsibly in their school communities and neighborhoods (Glasser, 1998).…”

“…These include confining too many students in too small a space and imposing behavioral routines and academic conformity, along with such factors as large schools and teacher isolation (Sautter, 1995). Confrontational student behavior has also been found to occur when rules are unfair, arbitrary, or unclear, or perceived as unfairly or inconsistently enforced; when students do not believe in the rules; when teachers and administrators disagree about the nature of the rules and the consequences for student misconduct; when teachers are too punitive; when students feel alienated; when schools are impersonal; when misconduct is ignored; when grades are overemphasized; when the curriculum is perceived by students as irrelevant; and when schools lack adequate resources for teaching (Evans & Evans, 1985;Gaustad, 1992). Some of these problems have been addressed by schools and communities while others have received minimal attention.…”

“…Other commonly suggested solutions to violence include regulating television content, suppressing gang activity and involvement, regulating drugs more conscientiously, reducing poverty, helping people find employment, providing family services of various kinds, encouraging family involvement in school, emphasizing early identification of children who are at risk for violent behavior, promoting antiviolence education, and reducing the size of schools (Arllen et al, 1994;Conroy & Fox, 1994;Devine, 1996;Evans & Evans, 1985;Gaustad, 1991;Smith, 1993). All these proposals have merit, but none is sufficiently preventive.…”

Aggression replacement training in a high school setting

“…Students learn most of their values and behaviours in the home and local community. Aggression in these settings has been attributed to a variety of factors: learned responses to the 'pressures of survival ' (Wolfgang & Ferracuti, 1967 cited in Kratcoski, 1985); 'sanctioned' aggression within the home or in the community (Turner, Fenn & Cole, 1981); the influence of parents as role models, for example, using aggression as an accepted way of solving family problems (Bandura, 1973 cited in Evans & Evans, 1985); membership in gangs or a violent subcultural group (Stratsburg, 1978).…”

“…Aggression is a very complex phenomenon that has multiple causes (Evans & Evans, 1985;Goldstein, Apter & Harootunian, 1984;Kratcoski, 1985). According to Evans and Evans (1985) school aggression is caused by an interaction between a 'constellation of components' both within and external to the student.…”