Center for Civic Partnerships

School Safety

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What School Characteristics Can Lead to Student Violence?

Although no school can claim to be violence-proof, research indicates that some schools tend to be safer than others. Several elements of the school culture and climate can help to increase or decrease a school's tendency to be safe.

Violence and antisocial behavior are more likely to occur in schools that have the following risk factors:

Overcrowding
Poor design and use of school space
Lack of firm, yet caring, disciplinary procedures
Student alienation
Multicultural insensitivity
Teacher and peer rejection of at-risk students
Student resentment toward school routines

Violence and antisocial behavior are less likely to occur in schools with the following characteristics:

Positive school climate and atmosphere
Clear and high expectations of all students
Strong student bonding to the school
High levels of student participation and parent involvement
Opportunities to gain skills and develop socially

Excerpted from the US Department of Education’s parent brochure: How Can We Prevent Violence in Our Schools?, which is based on Trends and Issues: School Safety and Violence Prevention, written by Linda Lumsden, associate editor for the ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management. Brochure is available for printing and distribution. Available online: http://www.accesseric.org/resources/parent/prevent.html.

Online Resources and Tools

Centers for Disease Control- Safe USA
http://www.cdc.gov/safeusa/youthviolence.htm
Provides tips to prevent violence in schools.
http://www.cdc.gov/safeusa/school/safescho.htm
Resources for being safe at school from injuries sustained on the playground, sports injuries and violence.

Center for the Prevention of School Violence
http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/cep/PreViolence/
Center serves as a point of contact for schools and parents dealing with the problem of school violence.

Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence
http://www.colorado.edu/UCB/Research/cspv/
Site provides assistance to groups committed to understanding and preventing violence, particularly adolescent violence.

Keep Schools Safe
http://www.keepschoolssafe.org/
Provides a collection of resources to make schools safer.

National Alliance for Safe Schools
http://www.safeschools.org/
Organization provides training, technical assistance, and publications to school districts interested in reducing school-based crime and violence.

National PTA- Community Violence Kit
http://www.pta.org/events/violprev/
A community violence prevention toolkit designed for parents, schools and community.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/resources/school.html
OJJDP site’s webpage for resources on school safety and violence, including funding resources.

Ribbon of Promise
http://www.ribbonofpromise.org/
A national campaign to end school violence.

Safe and Drug Free Schools Program
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS/index.html
This US Department of Education program focuses on reducing drug, alcohol and tobacco use, and violence, through education and prevention activities in schools.

Safety Zone
http://www.safetyzone.org/
A national resource center for safe schools.

School Violence Virtual Library
http://www.uncg.edu/edu/ericcass/violence/index.htm
Site provides multiple articles on school violence for students, teachers, counselors and parents.

US Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/earlywrn.html
Site discusses the Early Warning, Timely Response program which is a joint project of the Department of Education and Department of Justice. (see article link below)

Suggested Reading

Arnette, June L. & Walsleben, Marjorie C. (1998). Combating Fear and Restoring Safety in Schools. Article from an ongoing series of Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention bulletins addressing at-risk youth and education. Requires Acrobat Reader. Available online: http://www.colorado.edu/UCB/Research/cspv/safeschools/Default.htm

Dwyer, K., Osher, D., & Warger, C. (1998). Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools. This guide was produced by the Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice of the American Institutes for Research in collaboration with the National Association of School Psychologists and was funded by the US Department of Education. Available online: http://cecp.air.org/guide/earlywarning.htm

Elliot, Delbert S., Hamburg, Beatrix A. & Williams, Kirk R., editors (1998). Violence in American Schools: A New Perspective. Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 0521644186. Order information available online: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0521644186/ref=sim_books/104-5376389-1451908

Lantieri, Linda, Patti, Janet & Edelman, Marian Wright (1998). Waging Peace in Our Schools. Beacon Press. ISBN: 0807031178. Practical guide which outlines innovative techniques to create "peaceable classrooms". Order information available online:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0807031178/ref=sim_books/104-5376389-1451908

National Crime Prevention Council (1998). Securing the Future for Safer Youth and Communities. ISBN: 0-934513-69-4. Although not specific to school safety, this article provides excellent information on prevention of youth violence, including a comprehensive resource list containing contact information for 90 organizations working in this field. Available online:
http://www.ncpc.org/2secfut.htm

US Department of Education & US Department of Justice (2000). School Safety. 1999 annual report on school safety. Requires Acrobat Reader. Available online:
http://www.ed.gov/PDFDocs/InterimAR.pdf

US Department of Education & US Department of Justice (1999). Indicators of School Crime and Safety. This report provides detailed statistical information on crime in schools. Requires Acrobat Reader. Available online: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs99/1999057.pdf

US Department of Health and Human Services (2000). Federal Activities Addressing Violence in Schools. Inventory of federal activities designed to facilitate coordination of school violence prevention activities and enhance collaboration on future projects. Requires Acrobat Reader. Available online: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/violence/violenceactivities.pdf