Free Custom «Violence in American Schools» Essay Paper

High School violence is any activity that jeopardizes or risks the psychological, physical or space safety of students or staff in a given high school environment. This violence comes in different forms including theft, gang activity, drug shootouts, bullying and any attack from outsiders like parents beating up teachers or students. The main cause of such violence is exposure to violent literature, which causes indiscipline, due to lack of ethics or inability to control anger among other factors. This violence has led to loss of life, severe and minor injuries in addition to traumatizing victims. In most cases, high school violence often leads to underperformance by the victim. Every individual has the right to feel safe. It is the responsibility of the school administration, parents, students and the society at large to protect this vital right of all students, regardless of their age, sex, ethnicity and cultural background. School is only but a segment of society that has the duty of protecting this right. This paper supports the notion that High Schools have done much in preventing this form of violence in America.

 

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Elliot, D et al. (2003) assert that it is true that High schools in America have done much in protection of its student from school violence. The first step in prevention of violence is improvement of security infrastructure. Most high schools have adopted facilities that have improved the security at school. These facilities aim at preventing the risk or reducing the level of violence just in case it occurs. For instance, all high schools in different states have acquired metal detectors .These detectors sense guns or any harmful weapons that students may carry to school with the aim of propagating violence. Moreover, some schools have also increased the number of security personnel while others have installed cameras. It is undeniable that a majority of schools go this far in order to protect students and staff from violence that occur at school (Elliot, D et al., 2003).

High schools have also adopted special training programs that aim at reducing violence incidence in their midst. Many school administrations do invite peer educators and counselors who train staff members on ways of handling violent characters and situation. For instance, during these training, the behavioral consultants always advice teachers are to restrain from telling students inflammatory words (Swearer & Espelage, 2009). The counselors have also advised teachers to report when threatened by students or their colleague .apart from staff training, the educators have also spoken to students through guiding and counseling. This session helps students to appreciate the need of nonviolent environment.

The other mechanism that high schools have employed in prevention of violence at school is involving external bodies. High schools have also incorporated the external forces in helping them to reduce violence at school (Swearer & Espelage, 2009). For instance, many schools have embraced the help of the parents in supporting their children behavior. They also train parents on different ways of dealing with violence among their children. In some schools, parents have gone beyond counseling and enhanced their children security through buying them bulletproof backpacks. Parents also monitor their children behavior when at home. Apart from seeking help from parents, schools have also employed the help of police officers and fire fighting department. They invite these special guests to address students on violence as a crime and its consequences. Through these motivational talks, schools aim at changing students’ behavior positively.

To sum up, violence in schools may emanate from any event. It affects students, teachers and other staff members. Violence has cause injury, loss of life and psychological instability to the victims. To perpetrators, they may face arrests and possibly imprisonment. This harms all parties involved. Different schools employ different methods in reduction or elimination of violence at schools. Therefore, it is true to conclude that high schools have really done much in prevention or elimination of violence at schools.