Promoting Safe-School Environments: A Resource for Teachers Regarding School Violence | EPS 406, Study Guides, Projects, Research of School management&administration

Download Promoting Safe-School Environments: A Resource for Teachers Regarding School Violence | EPS 406 and more Study Guides, Projects, Research School management&administration in PDF only on Docsity! Promoting Safe-School Environments A Resource for Teachers Regarding School Violence Violence in Schools As educators, we are faced with numerous responsibilities to our communities, students, and their parents. One of these responsibilities is to maintain a positive, safe classroom environment that fosters learning and growth; however, conflict can disrupt that environment and even put our students and us in physical or emotional jeopardy. This document contains some links that educators will find useful for considering measures that they can take in order to do their part to prevent violence, and if educators are serious about preventing violence, than they will make a difference in their school culture and classrooms. Confrontations that result in some form of violence are common (view Figure 1) and ignore stereotypical perceptions regarding violent behavior in schools. Violence in schools is a real problem that affects every school body in the United States. As educators, we must face the challenge of preventing these situations from occurring and handling them properly if the situation arises. (Source: National Center for Education Statistics) Discrimination in Schools Perhaps the origin of conflict that results in violence in school can be related to our culture’s resistance to accepting those who are different from ourselves. It is this weakness that may result in behaviors like bullying or outbreaks of violence in school. But as educators, how can we confront issues like discrimination due to race, religion, or sexual orientation? The government has produced a resource for educators to refer to in the matter of this sort of behavior, which is often categorized as hate. A project called Tolerance.org has an excellent resource available to help educators address the issues that surround hate in school. This organization’s document “Responding to Hate at School” details a number of appropriate strategies for dealing with hate. Tolerance.org suggests that, in order to combat bias and discrimination, the educator must take consistent everyday action in order to respond to overt expressions of intolerance. By immediately intervening, the educator is fostering a positive community that makes bias and hate unwelcome. Above all else, the educator is to serve as a prime example of an individual who is not biased. Also, discussion should be promoted in addressing incidents of bias, hate, and discrimination in order to promote the unacceptability of such action. Tolerance.org breaks down this responsibility into a number of simple concepts: o The educator should create an environment that makes hate speech and symbols unwelcome. o Educators and administrators should put a lid on hate graffiti and vandalism. o Educators must be vocal and take a stand against hate literature, music, web-sites, and e-mail. o Educators must be alert to signs of student alienation. o Individuals must be unafraid to confront bigotry when it comes from another faculty member. o Educators must actively discuss and confront issues of community and national hate incidents. If you are interested in finding out more about Tolerance.org’s ideas about confronting and dealing with bias, discrimination, and hatred in schools, visit their website: Take me to the “Responding To Hate At School” webpage Conclusion There is no quick fix for educators to resolve the challenges that deal with conflict in schools. There is no one solution that will prevent violence from occurring in schools forever; however, as educators, we can stand up and take preventative measures against violence. Works Cited National Association of State Boards of Education. “Bullying in Schools” NASBE Policy Update Vol 11, No 10. Date Accessed: 10/23/2005 <http://www.nasbe.org/Educational_Issues/Policy_Updates/11_10.html>. National Center for Education Statistics. “Violence in U.S. Public Schools: 2000 School Survey on Crime and Safety”. October, 2003. Revised: August, 2005. <http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2004/2004314.pdf>. Safe and Responsive Schools. “Safe and Responsive Schools”. College of Education and Human Sciences, University of Nebraska Lincoln. Date Accessed: 10/23/2005. < http://www.unl.edu/srs/index.html>. Tolerance.org. “Responding to Hate at School”. Teaching Tolerance Project, Southern Poverty Law Center. Date Accessed: 10/30/2005 <http://www.tolerance.org/pdf/rthas.pdf>. Virginia Youth Violence Project, School of Education, University of Virginia. “Violence in Schools”. Date Accessed: October 5th, 2005. <http://youthviolence.edschool.virginia.edu/violence-in-schools/national- statistics.html>.