Examine school violence, its impact on victims, and system reactions to bullying.
On February 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and began to shoot students, staff, and teachers, killing 17 and injuring 14 others. This was the third deadliest school shooting, behind Virginia Tech in 2007 (32 dead) and Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012 (26 dead). When people think about violence in schools, mass shootings most often come to mind because they are horrific and grab media attention. However, school shootings are one of the rarer forms of school violence.
After the Parkland shooting, students began a social movement to help ensure their schools are safe from gun violence. According to theWashington Post, more than 187,000 students in 193 primary or secondary schools have experienced a shooting on campus during school hours (Woodrow-Cox & Rich, 2018). This has led to the creation of active shooter lockdown drills, which are defining the school experience of this generation. Image: High school students protest for gun law reform. Author: Fibonacci Blue. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fibonacciblue/39513397825/. License: CC-BY 2.0
School violence is defined as the interpersonal violence that occurs within a school community either actively (i.e., through fighting) or passively (i.e., through threats, social isolation, or cyberbullying). The school
community includes being at the school itself, coming or going to school, and school events. School violence is often reflective of other types of violence that occur among youth. It also can be influenced by factors such as gang violence that can spill into the school environment; the community, which might have higher risk factors for violence that kids can be subjected to on their way to and from school; and characteristics of the school itself. For example, Limbos and Casteel (2008) found that schools with more certified teachers had lower violence rates. This is because teachers who are certified and trained have been taught classroom management skills and techniques, while those without certification may lack classroom management skills.
Ramorola and Joyce (2014) found that drug and alcohol use by students increased school violence. Students who use drugs and alcohol are more likely to be engaging in risky behaviors, thereby increasing their potential to be a victim as well as an offender. Worthington (2014) found that parental involvement, especially when parents and teachers communicated with each other, decreased violence. Parental involvement often indicates that parents are also communicating with their children. Teachers can be made aware of issues outside of school that could make students more vulnerable to victimization or more likely to be a perpetrator. Increased awareness of issues that might come into the classroom helps teachers be more prepared and they can help create interventions for the student. All of these are examples of how the school environment can affect violence.