These Warning Signs Lead To Student Violence At School
Do you recognize them? And did you know this problem can be eliminated?
Introduction
One of the most popular stories that I published highlights what has been taking place in many schools in the state of Iowa. The link to this story follows.
More troubling news about student violence has just emerged from Iowa. An article on “2 Students Arrested After Allegedly Killing High School Spanish Teacher” published by People on msn.com on November 5, 2021, affirms this. Here is what happened.
“Two Iowa teenagers have been charged with homicide after they allegedly killed a Spanish teacher”
who worked at the high school they attended. The victim, Mrs. Nohema Graber, taught at the Fairfield High School. Her body was found in Chautauqua Park
“under a tarp, wheelbarrow, and railroad ties”.
Severe head trauma appeared to be a contributing cause of the death of the teacher. Law enforcement discovered
“an alleged plan to kill her”
on social media.
God rest the soul of this poor teacher.
Sadly, Iowan many school systems represent one state where student behaviors are dangerous and out of control. This problem is the reality in many places throughout the United States. Many students everywhere have been involved in heinous, premeditated, and senseless brutality against their peers and teachers at school.
The media has been filled with stories of violent episodes that have erupted in recent times. Such incidents continue to dominate educational news. But, the incidents of violence can be eliminated if educators use preventative measures. But teachers and school leaders must first be aware of these cautionary signals.
11 Warning Signs
These are the probable cues that exist that let school personnel know that their environment is susceptible to student violence.
- If the youngest students have been not exposed to structured parenting before the start of school they are likely to engage in acts of misconduct that progress from minor peer conflicts to major eruptions. Such major incidents are likely to include hitting, punching, kicking, biting, spitting and throwing objects at classmates, teachers, and other school employees. This is because they have not been taught age-appropriate social skills or respectful conduct. It then becomes the responsibility of the school to teach these children social skills.
- Immature and childish parents who consider their child’s extreme misconduct to be funny or cute set the stage for them to act out in school settings.
- When students have been exposed to violence and trauma within their homes and communities, that becomes their frame of reference. Such students are likely to act out according to what they have been exposed to in their lives and what they know.
- Adversarial parents who refuse to believe that their children have been engaged in school misconduct empower their sons and daughters to continue misbehaving. This is especially true if parents demean teachers and school leaders in the presence of their poorly behaved children by declaring that the educators are wrong and declaring how much they believe their children. Regretfully, this causes student behaviors to escalate to dangerous and violent. In these cases, children view themselves as untouchable because their parents have their back.
- When students do not receive the special education services, specially designed instruction, modifications, adaptations, or positive behavior supports they are entitled to, their needs are not met within their instructional program. These failures could result in severe student behavioral struggles.
- The use of very poor classroom and schoolwide management strategies contributes to the problem of student violence.
- Sometimes school personnel suspects that students may have mental and behavioral health conditions. Sadly, if parents refuse to comply with the recommendations and suggestions from the school to receive a medical, mental, or behavioral health evaluation the student behaviors will continue to worsen.
- Students who resist the authority of adults such as teachers, principals, school resource officers as well as other members of law enforcement and the judicial system are likely to defy classroom and school rules. Escalated incidents of dangerous misconduct are likely to ensue.
- Parents who are willfully and persistently function as an invisible members of their child’s educational team due to apathy or noncompliance are likely to devalue all parts of their learning experience. This includes holding their children accountable for behaving at school.
- Students who require a more restrictive learning environment or need to be educated within an alternative school but fail to be placed in these facilities will continue to display at-risk and dangerous behaviors within their current school placement.
- Some student’s careers as it relates to engaging in disturbing school behaviors are not phased by the varied and consistent disciplinary consequences and individualized interventions they receive. The discipline they receive from authority figures at school does not affect their perpetual negative behavioral choices.
Even though many indicators exist that alert educator to the probability of student violence, I whole-heartedly believe it can be stopped if the following three-step course of action is taken.
The Steps to Eliminating Student Violence in Schools
There are very bold and calculated steps that school leaders and policymakers can take to both eliminate and prevent student violence from erupting in classrooms and schools. As a family engagement influencer, I recommend the following strategies for doing so.
- As schools continue to provide specialized services, supports, and interventions for students who require them, family engagement must also be prioritized as a critical priority in schools that suffer in this area. Positioning parents as educational partners initiate the use of varied engagement strategies. Among the detailed blueprint must be parent training programs. These should be designed to not only build positive relations with parents but to also improve their skills within the home. Among this must be helping mothers and fathers understand their role in teaching children social skills, conflict resolution without aggression, and respecting others, especially authority figures like teachers. Ultimately, this will positively impact the behavior choices students make at school.
- Schools must create robust and sustainable family engagement policies with clear guidance for all educators and parents to adhere to so that genuine parent and educational partnerships are systemically advanced. Clear expectations for parents and school personnel must be outlined in the guidelines. School leaders should obtain assistance from family engagement experts like me in creating these school and district-wide policies.
- Educational lawmakers must begin to realize the connectedness that parent training plays in eliminating the serious student behavioral problems at school. I have a very specific opinion in this area. I believe that efforts must make with departments of human and social services to mandate and provide parent training programs to at-risk mothers and fathers from the time children are born until they enroll in preschool or kindergarten.
As a highly experienced family engagement and educational expert, I consider these three strategic steps key to stopping school violence among students.
These ideas are also elaborated on in the article shown below.
The Final Word
Student violence is a very puzzling educational problem that has destroyed many classrooms and schools everywhere.
Despite the specialized professional development programs that teachers, school leaders, and other educators have participated in related to student behavioral topics that include but are not limited to trauma-informed care, classroom management techniques, and crisis intervention, they have not been what has been needed to stop violent episodes from increasing in frequency and intensity.
The words that I have written in this story not only highlight indicators that make the learning environment susceptible to school violence, it also provides three bold steps to put an end to it. If incorporated together with fidelity, this puzzling problem can be resolved.
Thank you for your interest in family engagement topics and for reading this story.
Here is my golden ticket that helps me accomplish my mission.
Dr. Deborah M. Vereen is a retired Teacher and School Administrator. Her website is www.Drdeborahmvereen.com and her YouTube Channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS1DPhBeA29UlybU9jzDkdQ. She is available to provide assistance to schools and school district that require assistance with family engagement.
