Research Paper on Violence in Schools: Physical, Psychological and Sexual Harms

Introduction

Violence refers to the use of force, actual or threatened against an individual, group, and community to inflict physical injury or psychological harm to the target. Violence in schools involves the physical violence employed by student to student, teachers to students, and student to teachers. It also includes psychological violence and sexual violence. Violence in school is often expressed through intimidation and repression, and it always creates the atmosphere of insecurity and fear, which denies the students an opportunity to learn in a peaceful environment (Cornell, 2017). Moreover, violence in schools always affects the capacity of the school to achieve its vision and mission, which is only possible in a violence-free environment. In light of this, the paper will explore different attitudes and views about violence in school, and it is being viewed by the sociological approach of conflict. Also, the paper seeks to identify an appropriate intervention strategy that can be employed to mitigate the vice.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Attitude and Views

Violence in schools has become a major social ill in most American schools where some students who are believed to be influenced by substance abuse engage in violent behavior that targets other students and school staff (Cornell, 2017). It is instructive to note that the violence in schools is also instigated by the school staff and members of the society who often lose control after substance abuse and make irrational behaviors that fuel violence in schools. In the same vein, violence in schools is usually caused by personality problems where some students may feel detached from their colleagues and increase their chances of being rebellious and thereby engage in violence (Gereluk, Kent Donlevy, & Thompson, 2015). It has also been established that violence in schools often results from psychological problems created in different households. For instance, hatred, anger, and inferiority complex often influence individuals to engage in violent behavior. Additionally, students often tend to adopt violent behaviors exhibited by their parents and guardians and practice them in school where they disrupt the learning environment.

Furthermore, school violence is often fueled by exposure to violent media. It the contemporary world, the emergence of video games and television programs has impacted on the behavior of most students where they adopt the behaviors depicted in the programs and video games and exercise them in school. Also, poor gun regulation has increased accessibility to guns and other crude weapons which students use to perpetuate violence in schools (Cornell, 2017). Besides, teachers always increase violence in school under the pretext that it is only corporal punishment that can help in the enforcement of school rules and not the school discipline regulation. Moreover, the lack of effective communication between students and other school staff often result in school violence. Students may, at times, have genuine grievances and failure to address them often forces them to engage in violent behavior to be noticed (Page, Daniels, & Craig, 2015). Notably, poor relationship between the school and the community is often linked to spates of violence in different schools in the United States where some society members attack the school as a way of showing displeasure concerning the running of the school.

Conflict Perspective

The sociological approach considers society to be made up of various groups and interest that are in perpetual competition to gain resources and power. Conflict perspective gives an insight into different groups that wield power in a specific social arrangement. Concerning the violence in schools, this sociological approach depicts that it often results from the stratification of the society where some students view themselves as worthless and inferior and hence engage in violent activities in school as revenge (Gereluk et al., 2015). Moreover, the hostility and tension that, in some cases, exist between the community and the school often increase the incidences of violence in schools (Page et al., 2015). Besides, gender inequality often makes the male students view themselves as superior to their female colleagues and hence instigate physical violence against the female students.

Intervention Strategy

Considering the negative impacts caused by the violence in school, it is always necessary that schools develop disciplinary measures that will help in dealing with the students who breach the school rules and regulations. Also, the school should invest in modern security measures that would ensure that the students are thoroughly frisked before they enter the school premises (Gereluk et al., 2015). There should be great emphasis on creating awareness campaigns to engage students, teachers, parents, other members of the society on the importance of creating the environment free from violence. Moreover, teachers and teachers should play an integral role in creating conducive atmosphere back home and nurture their children in a violent-free environment as that would help in reducing the incidences of violence in schools (Page et al., 2015). There should also be effective communication between students, teachers, and parents to understand the difficulties that they may be facing and reduce their exposure to television programs and video games that can influence the behavior to engage in violent behavior in schools.

Conclusion

It is instructive to note that violence in schools often result in deaths, physical injuries, and psychological damage to the students, and this often disrupts their learning activities and the general objective of the school. Poor gun regulation measures often create accessibility to guns and other weapons which student use to perpetuate violence. Additionally, the government should formulate policies that can be implemented to reduce the incidences of violence in schools. Teachers and parents should always seek the intervention of professional psychologists that can provide counseling to students who have begun to show rebellious behavior. Also, violence in schools has morphed into a social problem that has resulted in devastating effects on the society as a whole and therefore there is a need for a collective effort to mitigate the vice in the society.

References

Cornell, D. G. (2017). School violence: Fears versus facts. Routledge.

Gereluk, D. T., Kent Donlevy, J., & Thompson, M. B. (2015). Normative considerations in the aftermath of gun violence in schools. Educational Theory, 65(4), 459-474.

Page, J., Daniels, J. A., & Craig, S. J. (2015). Violence in schools. Springer.