Violence in schools

Every day ten children die as a result of gunfire. Depending on the area they live in, the type of people they’re surrounded by and how they were raised growing up might be some factors for why these children are getting shot each day. Or maybe it’s just bad luck, wrong place at the wrong time. Violence behavior originates at a young age, and when children are young they are enrolled in school. Would the school systems be at fault for not teaching these children violence is unacceptable?

The most common forms of violence in schools are fist fights and bullying. This type of behavior seems relatively harmless but it’s primarily the stepping stone to bigger more significant violence. Students need to be taught at an early onset that this type of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Schools need to educate students about preventing violence so it will never be an issue later on in life. Of course learning about violence isn’t the only way to prevent violence; it needs to be stressed at the home as well. If a child grows up in a violent atmosphere they are more likely to mirror those behaviors than someone who is not constantly surrounded by violence. This isn’t true for every instance but it’s obviously better to be brought up in a violence-free home.

When a student is at school they need to feel comfortable and safe knowing nothing will harm them in the learning atmosphere. Violence prevention programs allow students the opportunity to practice anger management, use conflict resolution and to understand different options for handling situations that might include violence. Teachers need to ensure the safety of each student and in most cases there is a larger ratio of students to teachers so the students need to take the initiative to behave.

In every school I’ve attend there was never any significant issue with violence. I was very fortunate to attend schools where that wasn’t the main issue walking into school every day. Some schools need to ensure safety so much they will employ police officers to regulate. Some schools even install metal detectors and video cameras. These are extreme measures but sometimes extremely necessary.

If the teasing and bullying is eliminated in the early years of school then maybe students will be less prone to commit any crimes. Students need to show respect for one another, not hatred and disregard towards others feelings. It is also the teacher’s job to make sure students exhibit good behavior not abusive behavior. School needs to be a safe environment for all, no one should feel scared going to school each day.