Schools across the nation report increases in the use of punitive disciplinary methods (e.g., suspension). The need for these disciplinary practices to address serious student misconduct is undisputed. What research has questioned is why some students seem to be suspended more often than others, what effects suspension has on students, and whether…

In response to the growing incidence of violence and vandalism in Connecticut schools, the state established the Interagency Task Force on School Security and the Citizens Advisory Council on Safe Schools to examine the problem. Two principal sources of information were developed, including a series of four regional hearings at which students,…

The speaker raises questions surrounding the existence of school district crisis policies, relations with law enforcement agencies, relations with the news media, the designation of an official spokesman for the schools, the releasing of information, and the posting of regulations concerning such things as closing hours and fire department…

The extent of school violence and vandalism is staggering, according to the author. He briefly reviews the history of conflict in American education, concluding that when a new group of people comes into an institution, such as the public schools, there is bound to be conflict and tension, as when the schools were desegregated by court order. He…

An examination of rules and regulations of five schools within a 15-mile radius in Cook County, Illinois, illustrates the diverse nature of behavior problems in schools. Overcrowding, race, poverty, and drugs are suggested by social scientists to be among the causes for disruptions within school systems. The schools in this study include an…

A study of junior high schools (MacDonald 1995) found that students and administrators held significantly different perceptions regarding the nature, extent, and management of violent behaviors. This paper presents findings of a study conducted 1 year later that more thoroughly examined students' perceptions of the effectiveness of current school…

The theory, research, and prescription done during the 1970's in the areas of classroom management and school discipline are reviewed in this analysis, and the effects of this work on student behavior problems is assessed. An analysis of the sociopolitical context in which scholarly models, research paradigms, and systems for running schools were…

A contemporary theory of behavior is that faulty patterns of thinking divide the criminal from the noncriminal. The causation of school violence is children choosing to be violent; and the problem of school violence is acceptance of their choice. Short-term control measures are adherence to systematic school rules, use of technology, security…

A discussion of the political aspects of administrative decision-making concerns the sanctioning or prohibiting of corporal punishment in schools in general and the action taken when teachers who use corporal punishment come under attack. The data, derived from the author's participant observation in the Detroit Public Schools, indicate that (1)…

Research on school violence has slowly gained momentum in Canada, underscoring the concern some educators are expressing about the frequency of behaviors that seriously disrupt student learning. This paper presents findings of a study that compared students' and administrators' perceptions of the nature, extent, awareness, and management of…

A combination of behavioral and motivational theory is proposed to deal with the problem of violence in schools. Characteristics of persons effective in dealing with violent or aggressive students include intelligence, positive attitudes toward students, and high expectations for students. Other personal qualities that are related in general to…

This report discusses the outcomes of two studies that investigated the effectiveness of the Safe Schools Healthy Students Initiative (SS/HSI), a federal grant program designed to promote healthy childhood development and prevent violence and substance abuse. The first study, titled "Results of a Longitudinal Study of Disciplinary Referrals…

This paper introduces a project that sought to examines students' perceptions of the meaning of school violence, its impact on their schooling experience, and the effectiveness of current strategies for dealing with violent behaviors. Interviews were conducted with 60 students in grades 7-9 (in groups of 12) drawn from 5 K-9 schools in central…

Paper presented at the 66th Convention of the International Association of Pupil Personnel Workers, October 23, 1980, Baltimore, Maryland, expresses concern about the future of education and the growing problem of school violence. Suggests corporal punishment amounts to child abuse and does little to help students learn problem-solving techniques.…

The issue of school violence as well as the various public policies and school policies which have an impact on several issues are addressed in this paper. These issues are school suspensions, the distinctions between youth and adult crime, the question of who is to blame for student actions, and which institutions and individuals should be held…