Seeking safety from violence - school safety

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Dec, 1994

A nationwide survey of students and teachers sponsored by Honeywell Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., reveals that both groups cited parenting classes and family support services as leading solutions to reducing violence among youth. The findings sharply conflict with current measures--such as security guards and metal detectors--used by some school officials to curb violence.

"Students and teachers are telling us that we must first attack violence at the heart of the problem, and that begins with educating parents on how to teach children to properly resolve conflicts," says Michael Casserly, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, which represents the nation's largest urban school districts. "Security measures alone are a Band-Aid to solving the violence problem. We must look at a broad-based approach that includes parental involvement and appropriate safety precautions."

When asked about factors influencing student behavior in their schools, students (53%) and teachers (89%) indicated discipline in the home. Fifty-three percent of students and 71% of teachers listed peer acceptance, while 84% of teachers and 46% of students cited disinterested parents.

Despite the increased attention placed on guns and gangs, less than half the students and teachers place them high on their list of factors influencing student behavior. Thirty-four percent of students and 46% of teachers listed gangs, while 32% of students and 37% of teachers pointed to the availability of guns.

When students and teachers were queried about whether the breakdown of the family and television and media violence were responsible for violence, 40% of teachers and 18% of students cited the former, while 39% of teachers and 18% of students blamed the latter. Peer influence was listed by 21% of students and eight percent of teachers.

Contrary to some recent reports, the majority of surveyed students and teachers did not indicate violence was a critical issue. Thirty-three percent of teachers and 25% of students said violence was a serious dilemma in their school. "I anticipated that number to be much higher," Casserly says. "There is no doubt we have a problem, and we must take action now to curb it." A survey of the nation's urban school leaders conducted by his organization found that more than 82% listed violence as their highest concern.