The preponderance of literature associated with school violence illuminates the severity of its manifestation in schools both nationally and internationally. The impact of school violence on students' physical and emotional well-being cannot be understated as this is commensurate with student academic achievement. The South African Government's…

Drawing upon an ongoing school mental health survey being conducted in California, this article examines associations between high school students' mental wellness, including covitality (as measured with the Social Emotional Health Survey--Secondary), and school safety perceptions and experiences. Student self-reports reveal a strong positive…

In the USA, school violence has rapidly increased in recent year (Ricketts, 2007) leading to issues in the climate and environment of schools. According to Espelage et al. (2013) "higher rates of violence directed towards teachers were associated with disorganized school structures, negative school climates, lack of administrative and…

Violence is a problem that affects the family structure, schools, and communities. Although some violence takes place behind closed doors, the effects are devastating to society and the community. The overwhelming results are seen with the increase of visits to abuse shelters and emergency rooms. Domestic violence in households tends to continue…

Twenty-three State legislatures in 2011 considered bills to permit the carrying of firearms at their public institutions of higher education, and some public colleges in at least six states now allow weapons on college grounds or in college buildings. The lawful possession of guns on campus is a recent and limited phenomenon, but decisions by the…

In this testimony, Quinton Roman Nose talks on behalf of the National Indian Education Association about the shocking disparity in the safety of Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools. NIEA advocates for the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of Native students, working to ensure that the federal government upholds its…

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…

As a chief spokesperson for a national movement to prevent violence and a frequent speaker in national media and public forums, Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith is a nationally recognized public health leader. In 1987, she was appointed the first woman Commissioner of Public Health for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In that role, she established the…

This study examined middle-school students' sociability self-concept and their perceptions of safety at school. A total of 421 students were administered anonymous questionnaires assessing perceived sociability self-concept and school safety. They were asked to rate their concern with, and exposure to, violence in four critical areas: use of…

School violence has increasingly captured public attention due to deadly school shootings. Controversy on school violence is demonstrated by a mixed picture of school safety and the lack of consensus on the definition of violence, which makes comparison of findings across studies difficult. This study extended the application of the Rasch model to…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined students' and school personnel's perceptions of gang activity, violence, and safety in the high schools of the Hinds County Public School District in Mississippi. The perceptions were measured against the student variables of grade level, age, gender, and race, and the school personnel…

This paper reports on the development of an empirically valid and reliable assessment instrument that identifies areas of need in violence prevention skills within the student population. The completed instrument should allow a school district to choose a curriculum that aligns with their identified need at each developmentally-appropriate level…

This brief paper summarizes findings from research on effective school practices that reduce violence and frequency of behavior problems. It finds that research on schools supports a comprehensive three-level approach to prevention as the most efficient and cost-effective way to reduce violence. Such an approach involves first, a schoolwide…

This study investigated how patterns of school violence change across years using data extracted from the school questionnaire in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the TIMSS-Repeat (TIMSS-R). Violence was operationally defined as a continuum or hierarchy of physical and nonphysical aggression. The study found that…

This paper reports on a statewide study that examined the extent to which a safe school influences individual student achievement. The study used a two-level hierarchical model that included student characteristics and school conditions used in prior research. The statewide analysis was based on 46 of the 50 schools with grade 8 classes in one…