Unsupported fears of youth violence in schools has led to an expansion of school-based policing and zero tolerance discipline. The historical reality is that America's public schools are very safe, even when located in high crime neighborhoods. Yet, school discipline is becoming increasingly punitive, moving from the schoolhouse to the courthouse.…

The purpose of this research was to address the public policy of adequacy by the creation of a Florida state-wide poverty index model to assist in the distribution of state and local dollars in funding public education. This poverty index model would measure the amount and severity of poverty in every public school within the state each year and…

Each school year, the School Climate Survey is administered to gather information on the perceptions that students, their parents, and school staffs hold concerning their schools and their performance. In 2009-2010, the survey was distributed to approximately 85,000 parents, 45,000 elementary, secondary, and adult students, and 25,000 staff. This…

Each year, between 10 and 20 percent of schoolchildren in the United States are exposed to domestic violence. According to psychologists, such exposure can lead to aggressive behavior, decreased social competence, and diminished academic performance. A majority of parents and school officials believe that children who are troubled, whatever the…

Each school year, the School Climate Survey is administered to gather information on the perceptions that students, their parents, and school staffs hold concerning their schools and their performance. In 2008-2009, the survey was distributed to approximately 90,200 parents, 54,200 elementary, secondary, and adult students, and 25,000 staff. This…

River Run High School, located in rural west central Florida, was the site for a case study of student conflict precipitated by the wearing and display of Confederate flags on campus. Following a series of tense student encounters over Confederate and other racist symbols, a conflict resolution team was invited to intervene. Team members created a…

The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) is the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization committed to engaging people everywhere in promoting the well-being of children, youth, and their families and protecting every child from harm. By publishing a diverse range of views on a wide array of topics, "Children's…

An investigation and extension of the Risk Assessment Scale for Prison (RASP-Potosi), an actuarially derived scale for the assessment of prison violence, was undertaken through a retrospective review of the disciplinary records of the first 12 months of confinement of a cohort of inmates entering the Florida Department of Corrections in 2002 and…

This article describes the findings of a Florida commission on campus safety that was issued in May 2007. The commission contradicted assertions by officials at Virginia Tech that they could not share information about the gunman in April's fatal shooting rampage because of privacy laws. The commission was assembled by Governor Charlie Crist in…

In this article, the author discusses a literature-based character education program at the school district of Hillsborough County in Florida. The district recently developed a comprehensive management plan in response to the much-publicized school violence of recent years. The plan addresses school issues including tornado and fire drills,…

This document contains the text of a Senate hearing on crimes against the elderly. Senator Paula Hawkins examines funding for day care of the elderly and discusses the crime of elder abuse and other crimes against the elderly. Two victims of abuse testify about their abuse, a victim of violent crime describes her victimization, and a…

This report reviews and describes issues relating to the police response to the Dade County, Florida, disorders of May 1980. Recent changes in the social environment and several incidents leading up to the disorders are described. The preparation, planning, mobilization, and tactical response of the Dade County Department of Public Safety and the…

Describes Florida's statewide effort to provide a means of collecting information on perceptions of safety held by students, teachers, and administrators to enhance the currently available school crime and violence data collected through the statewide incident referral system. Documents the design process and development of two statewide model…

This report indicates that while school security systems should be tailored to the school system's specific needs and problems, most must take cognizance of the following concerns: (1) evaluation of current security arrangements; (2) degree of dependence upon local law enforcement bodies; (3) management of the school system; (4) analysis of school…

The purpose of this paper is to describe the model used to evaluate the two-year Allegany Grant between the Peace Education Foundation and the Miami-Dade County Public Schools that focused on reducing school violence through implementing the "Peace Works" program. A mixed method design using simultaneous methodologies was employed. For…