Approximately 1 out of 5 students between the ages of 12 and 18 have experienced bullying during the school year. However, bullying isn’t the only kind of school violence. It’s difficult to reduce violence in schools without the right violence prevention measures.
In this article, we offer our top tips on how to avoid violence and protect students and teachers. Continue reading to make your school a better place to learn.
Choose Your Approach
If you want to prevent violence in schools, you need to first decide on the violence prevention measures you want to be employed in your school. There are several different approaches that schools commonly take.
Some focus on preventing extreme violence, such as with gun prevention policies, while others improve access to counseling. What’s even better is when schools choose a combination of methods to avoid violence. You have to decide what works best for your school.
1. Emphasize Education
One of the best ways to reduce violence in schools is to emphasize education. Not only does it empower potential victims to seek help but it can also help potential offenders from understanding the implications of their actions.
In these educational programs, it’s important to teach respect and why it’s so essential. Some students respond well to learning about the negative outcomes that come from violent behavior as well.
2. Make Reporting Anonymous
The act of reporting school violence can make it worse in some cases. That’s why an anonymous reporting system is important to protect students and teachers.
This is especially important for repeating situations. If a student feels as though their experience worsened from the first report, they are unlikely to report school violence a second time.
3. Increase Surveillance
Improving surveillance systems is a great way to reduce violence in schools. This can be done with digital systems and/or physical surveillance protocols. For physical surveillance, be sure to train teachers, staff, and any resource officers on proper protocols.
For digital surveillance, find the right system and best sure it’s monitored for the best results. Click here to learn about CCTV systems for your school.
4. Implement Counseling and Mediation
Being able to identify school violence isn’t an effective way to prevent violence in schools on its own. Counseling and mediation are preferred violence prevention methods.
Implementing better counseling and mediation methods can help at-risk students and students with violent tendencies get the help they need. It can help prevent the problem before it ever occurs.
5. Don’t Ignore What You See
All school staff needs to stay involved with dynamics between students. It’s easy to play off signs of bullying as kids ‘having fun.’ However, this is a dangerous assumption and precedent to set.
Staff need to understand the importance of stepping in. If they see something that may be bullying, it’s best to report it or act on it. They may even consider pulling a student aside to see if the issue is related to bullying.
Prevent School Violence
Preventing school violence is possible with dedication and the right violence prevention measures. Decide which approach works best for your school, educate your staff and students, and start avoiding violence.
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