School Violence Prevention Testimony
Abstract
Nationally publicized school shootings have highlighted potential precursors of violence, such as persistent bullying. Although we lack substantial data on the long-term effects of being bullied, getting bullied or victimized by peers is now considered a warning sign of potentially violent students. Moreover, independent of high profile shooting incidents that have attracted recent attention, social scientists have consistently documented that bullying is (1) prevalent in schools and has detrimental effects on children, and (2) that schools can effectively reduce bullying and mitigate its harmful effects. However, many of the current violence prevention strategies (e.g., methods that focus solely on physical safety, zero-tolerance policies, and profiling of potentially violent students) are limited and may even backfire in the long run. The most promising model of violence prevention that focuses on bullying includes at least three interrelated components: (1) explicit anti-harassment school policy, (2) instruction for all students to help them understand the policy and develop conflict resolution skills, and (3) case-by-case staff mediation that reinforces both school policy and instruction.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA395059
Entities
People
- Jaana Juvonen
Organizations
- RAND Corporation