The effectiveness of the warning signs program in educating youth about violence prevention: a study with urban high school students

Professional School Counseling, Oct, 2003 by Kristin Schaefer-Schiumo, Amy Patraka Ginsberg

Students' responses to questions about what they can do to prevent violence in others or themselves (questions 3, 4, and 6) were content analyzed by consensus of the two researchers. Themes that emerged from the responses were noted.

RESULTS

Contrary to the research hypotheses, negligible differences across intervention groups were found on the pre- and post-intervention questionnaire responses to questions about the warning signs of violence. As indicated in Tables 3 and 4, regardless of the intervention group, the students overwhelmingly focused on Prong I, Personality Traits and Behaviors, when describing warning signs that could potentially lead to violence. Students were particularly attuned to coping deficits and poor anger management, behavioral signs suggesting potential violence, and indications of depression. On the other hand, students rarely remarked on other personality traits and behavior signs, including narcissism, a fascination with sensational violence and violent people, and rigidity.

On both pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, irrespective of intervention group, students' responses most frequently incorporated factors identified in the coping/poor anger management cluster. In this cluster, they reported signs such as the following: "irritability, mood swings;" they are either provoked or just starting trouble;" "people may be displacing their anger;" "if they have an explosive temper;" "they provoke someone and really try to test his or her nerves;" and "large sums of people just force you." Students' responses regarding signs in themselves that indicate that they are at risk for becoming overly angry and violent also fell largely into the coping/poor anger management cluster. The following responses are indicative: "If I think violently or attempt to break something, which happens to me rarely;" "I tend to let little things bother me;" and, "when I get mad and cannot think clearly."

The second most frequent type of responses on both pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, irrespective of intervention group, was in the depression cluster. These responses indicated that students are aware of the importance of features such as lethargy, a dark outlook on life, a loss of interest in activities, alienation, and low self-esteem as potential warning signs of violence. Responses that fell into this cluster included: "If they are depressed or [have a] mental illness;" "no feelings about life anymore;" and "they begin to live a dysfunctional and sedentary life." Similarly, with regard to potential violence against the self, students reported the importance of depressive traits and behaviors such as the following: "they often go through guilt trips, become depressed, and refrain from other people's company;" and "some people will always like to be alone," and "doesn't socialize with anybody."

The third most frequent type of responses on both pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, irrespective of intervention group, indicated student attention to behavioral cues, including changes in behavior, behavior relevant to a threat, and leakage ("when a student intentionally or unintentionally reveals clues to feelings, thoughts, fantasies, attitudes, or intentions that may signal an impending violent act;" O'Toole, 2000, p. 16). Examples of student responses in this cluster include the following: "if the person is making threats with nonverbal communication;" "making a joke that can be serious, like, 'I wish I can just die';" and, "constantly saying they can't take it anymore."