Many of today's children fear school because of violence. Some children do not feel safe going to school, so they stay home. Others are growing up in dysfunctional families, and are not prepared for school or able to perform well at school. Parental help, which is needed at school when problems arise, may be lacking for these children. Among the problems confronting schools dealing with violence is the necessity for keeping intruders out. Principals are in key positions to prevent violence, whether it be caused by cultural or racial conflict, gangs and weapons in school, sexual harassment, or physical intimidation. They can identify potential gang development and provide appropriate responses to altercations and develop guidelines for security and supervision in the schools. A principal from a high school in El Paso (Texas) describes techniques he has used to reduce violence in the school and discusses the types of hands-on programs he has implemented. His Kids in Need of Attention program focused on at risk students through the intense personal involvement of the principal. It evolved into a tutoring program that eventually resulted in a 98% graduation rate among these students. The discussion is illustrated with photographs of some of the student participants. (Contains 15 references.) (SLD)