Final Project !

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Sample Essay

TEXAS POLICY REPORT

Your Name

PROFESSOR

GOVT 2306-XXXXX

Semester and Year

WORD COUNT: 1580 (EXCLUDING CITATIONS)

TITLE: SCHOOL VIOLENCE

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School Violence

On Wednesday April, 2014 in Murrysville Pennsylvania, a teenage boy wielding two

kitchen knives went on a stabbing rampage at the Franklin Regional High School. Twenty-four

people were injured, and at least five of those people were critically wounded including a boy

who is on a ventilator after the knife pierced his liver (CBS Pittsburg). According to the CDC’s

School Associated Violent Death Study, between 1% and 2% of all homicides among school-age

children happen on school grounds or on the way to and from school. These serious and

continuous acts of violence make us ask certain questions: Are students going through an

unexplainable change? Are schools no longer a place for individuals to learn and develop skills

that would mold them into being profitable citizens for themselves and their country? Are the

causes of these violent acts psychological or emotional? And what role has the government

played in limiting the advancement of school violence? Schools are an integral part of our

society, and as violence escalates in society so does the violence in our schools.

There is a problem eating at the educational system in the U.S, a dilemma that has

completely obstructed and deflated the scholastic organization in a negative way. For several

decades now, news of mass shootings, murders, rapes, and suicides in schools have dominated

the media and soaked into the consciousness of Americans everywhere. Schools are not only

dealing with providing an excellent education for their students but they are also dealing with

threats, students bringing weapons to school, and the protection of their students. The purpose of

this study is to examine the relationship between school violence and violence in the society and

to provide selected solutions to reduce school violence.

The question now arises: who is to blame for this? To address this increasing social

problem, theories have been developed. From the book, The Evolution of School Disturbance in

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America, Gordon Crews discusses eight theories why youth become delinquent; nevertheless,

only three stand out. To begin with, the Positivism theory “emphasize[s] the offender’s personal

and also background characteristics rather than just the rational thought process and free will”

(9). In other words, the individual’s background, the “biological, psychological, sociological,

cultural, and physical environments” are to blame for his or her conduct (10). The Biological

theory believes that “criminal behavior is inbred, not learned” (10). In essence, the student

suppresses his emotions until he explodes in a bid to take control of his life (Bonilla). In

contrast, the Behaviorist theory argues that “people act a certain way because their lifestyle

behaviors are taught and not fixed” (10). All these theories present a good case, but they do not

provide the answers to this problem.

Although there are different ideologies why some youth become deviant, society plays a

larger role in fostering school violence. When we look at our society today, we can see a

correlation between school violence and the violence in society. Violence is now part of the

everyday life in the United States; it is a part of the culture. People watch violent movies, TV

shows, play violent games, listen to violent music, and buy toy guns and weapons for children. In

all, American society glorifies violence. Children are made to believe that only by being violent

can you dominate others. Teenagers and even young adults are exposed to these violent acts and

are prone to emulate them, especially when provoked by others. They grow up with this

misconception and then begin to terrorize others. Robert Kennedy once said “Every society gets

the kind of criminal it deserves.” Schools are microcosms of the larger society; crimes, violence

found in local communities, and children from dysfunctional families are all brought to school.

The problems of the outside world are causing disorder in the school environment. Just like

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Hoffman supported by saying, “schools are part of our communities we cannot separate what

happens in school from what happens in our communities” (14).

Previous policies placed by the government against school violence have not been

sufficient. In 1989, President George Bush and 50 governors held a summit which culminated in

the adoption of the U.S. national education goals. These goals stated that “by the year 2000,

every school in America will be free of drugs and violence and will offer a disciplined

environment conducive for learning” (Crews). In 1997, the federal legislation passed two laws

to stop school violence: “The Gun Free Act and Drug Free School and communities Act”

(Kopka). In Texas, the Texas Education Code passed a law that approved school marshals in

schools (section 37.0811), implemented a discipline management program to be included in the

district improvement plan (Section 11.252), and also prohibited bullying and any form of

retaliation (Section 37.0832). Recently, President Obama introduced four common steps to curb

school violence which were: closing background check loopholes to keep guns out of dangerous

hands, banning military style assault weapons, making schools safer, and increasing access to

mental health service (Brenhcley). All these policies were placed to limit school violence.

One option to help with school violence is encouraging parents to play a larger

role in the education of their children. Today, most parents are barley at home; some do not

know what their kids do, the shows they watch or the type of friends they keep. Parents have to

set the example by prohibiting violent words in the home, settle their private disputes peaceably,

talk to their children regularly, be active in their school, and make sure firearms are not located

in the house. They should also discourage name calling, help their children learn how to

positively find solutions to problems, and set clear limits on behaviors. To advocate this option,

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Hoffman advised that parents should “limit television watching, control which programs their

children watch, and take an active role in providing feedback to [their] children” (71).

The second option is for the schools to monitor the behavior of individual students. They

have to quickly detect the delinquent students and take appropriate measures to stop their actions

or find solutions to their abnormal behaviors. Schools should make sure they adopt appropriate

codes and behaviors acceptable in their educational environment and enact serious penalties for

any student who does not adhere to these rules and regulations. They should also establish a zero

tolerance policies for weapons and violence, offer training in anger management, stress relief,

and related violence prevention skills to staff and teachers. Furthermore, school officials should

involve every group within the school community faculty, professional staff, custodial staff, and

students, in setting up violence prevention techniques throughout their school. To support this

option as well, Hoffman states: “educators must intervene and offer programs for children at all

levels… as well as the education provided in youth correctional institutes” (40).

Unfortunately, the disadvantage of these two options is that our economy is a consumer

economy. With price levels going higher every year, parents are forced to work double shifts in

order to provide for their families. Also, most of these children come from a single parent home

where only one person has to shoulder the responsibility. In addition, although schools can

implement these rules, some might find it unconstitutional and decide to fight against it. Others

might think these rules are too strict and that it interferes with the lives of these students. On the

other hand, if these options are enacted, there might be a reduction in school violence because

parents will now play a larger role in bringing up responsible children, and schools will institute

severe punishment to students who do not adhere to their policy.

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The Federal government should work hand-in-hand with schools and parents to limit the

increase of school violence. If it would take the government to implement rules forcing parents

to be active in the lives of their children then they should do so. Charity begins at home, and we

are a product of our families and environment. Parents should not expect schools to shoulder the

responsibility of educating their children; they should be made to understand that if they do not

play a role in educating their children, the school can do nothing for them. The Federal

government should also stop mild punishments given to the perpetrators of these crimes under

the pretext that they are minors or mentally incapacitated. They should stop searching for ways

to protect these children, because if they do, others will believe that they can commit crimes and

get away with it. Finally, the Federal government should pass a law or a constitutional

amendment that would allow the 50 states to pass strict laws in their schools and implement

severe punishment to students involved in school violence.

Schools are meant to be safe environments for learning and acquiring skills to make

students industrious. For some, schools might be a safe haven where they escape their traumatic

family, to certain, they might be the only escape from poverty; and for others, the only place of

acceptance. If violence reigns in school, then the future of these students is at risk. Klee states

that young adults should take responsibility for their character, they should be taught how to

resolve conflicts peaceably and how to choose between right and wrong (16). It is time for us to

put heads together and restore what is broken in our educational system.

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Works Cited

Bonilla, Denise M., ed. School Violence. 1st, Ed. New York: H.W. Wilson Company,

2000. Print.

Brenchley, Cameron, ed. "President Obama's Plan to Make Our Schools Safer."

The Official Blog of the U.S. Department of Education. N.P., 17 Jan.

2013. Web. 9 Oct. 2014.

Crews, Gordon A. The Evolution of School Disturbance in America. 1st, ed.

Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 1997. Print.

Education Code. 37 C.F.R. Sec. 37.0811. 2011. Print

Education Code. 37 C.F.R. Sec. 37.083. 2011. Print.

Education Code. 37 C.F.R. Sec. 37.0832. 2011. Print

Hoffman, Allan M., ed. Schools, Violence and Society. 1st, ed. Westport,

Connecticut: Praeger, 1996. Print.

Klee, Sheila. Working Together Against School Violence. 1st, ed. New York: Rosen

Publishing Group, 1996. Print.

Kopka, D. L. School Violence. 1st, ed. Santa Barbara California: ABC-CLIO, Inc,

1997. Print