Racial Disproportionalities in Discipline

Student safety represents an important goal for schools; however, policies designed to facilitate school safety may have unintended negative consequences. Zero tolerance policies, those that mandate severe punitive measures, have been widely implemented by school leaders over the last several decades; however, recent research suggests that such policies may contribute to racial disparities in the use of discipline. This chapter reviews the history of zero tolerance policies in schools and, through descriptive analysis of data from the Civil Rights Data Collection of 2011-2012, documents racial disparities in the use of expulsions. Findings suggest that while zero tolerance policies may contribute to such disparities, the racial disparities are more pronounced for non-zero tolerance expulsions. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

State-Level Cyberbullying Policy

Cyberbullying is the use of information technology to deliberately hurt, taunt, threaten or intimidate someone. Currently, there are no federal statutes in the United States which directly address this problem. The response of the states has varied from attempting to use existing anti-bullying laws to limit cyberbullying to passing new laws that specifically target cyberbullying behavior. An important question is, “why are some states taking a lead in combating this cybercrime through new laws while others are relying on existing laws?” The literature on policy adoption suggests politics, resources and public need are important factors in predicting why certain states are more likely to enact government policies. This chapter analyzes the impact of these factors and others on policy adoption by exploring the level of legislative action to update existing cyberbullying laws for 2009 through 2014.

The Impact of Mass Incarceration and Social Issues of Institutionalization on School Violence in Youths

In this chapter the authors examine the impact that mass incarceration has had upon children in the United States over the last several decades. Inherent in this examination is to discuss the impact of institutionalization on the propensity of committing violent acts by children. The authors also discuss the impact of these American phenomena on many aspects of juvenile delinquency and violence.

A Second Chance

A qualitative analysis of special education youth who attended school at a recreation center in Brooklyn NY helps provide an understanding of the relationship between alternative high school education and offending. According to Wang and Fredericks (2014), interventions that aim to improve school engagement may promote positive youth development, including reducing involvement in problem behaviors. This study focuses on youth who were at risk for offending due to poor academic performance and previous delinquent involvement. Prior to attending school at this facility, the individuals were previously exposed to an environment that put them at risk for delinquency. This investigation provides support for preventative measures to youth conflict and delinquency by placing them in an environment that promotes pro-social behavior.

Analyzing the Impact of LGBTQ Lifestyles amongst School-Aged Youth in America

The following chapter addresses the various dynamics associated to the alternative belief systems and lifestyles of juveniles in grades K-12. Youth that embrace an alternative lifestyle populate our public school systems more than ever. Applicable dynamics assessed in this chapter include: (a) school-age related violence (Elementary-High School), (b) youth bullied due to LGBTQ lifestyle of parents, (c) statistical assessment of violence regarding suicidality of LGBT teenagers, (d) teachers that participate in bully behaviors against LGBTQ youth within the public school system, (e) theoretical associations that may be employed to explicate the motivations of violent/adverse behaviors towards youth that are involved in alternative belief systems and lifestyles, (f) exploring the national intervention programs and in-school guidance counselor availability for youth, parents, and families alike.

The Characteristics and Typologies of School Violence Perpetrators

Incidents of school related shootings have been intensely studied, particularly since the Columbine shooting on April 20, 1999, with the goal of creating a profile of school shooter. In light of the intense media frenzy created by school shootings and the shooters information as to cause and motivations of these events have not been accurately conveyed. What we know thus far is violent video games as a cause of school shootings is a myth. We also know that despite the fear of a school shooting, these are statistically rare events with perpetrators rarely surviving the attacks. Based on studies of the limited number of perpetrators, common psychological characteristics have been linked to those that have committed these acts.

Stolen Voices

This chapter posits a view that while adults' freedom and liberty is much talked about and advanced in almost every sphere of life, particularly in America, freedom and social justice for the young has lagged behind especially in schools. Violence within schools continues to manifest in various forms including the denial of opportunity for students to meaningfully participate in decisions that affect them. The chapter explored some critical theoretical perspectives to shed light on the depth of the crisis through the lens of the child and those advocating children's rights as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Theoretical narratives from Freire, Dahl, Foucault, Weber, Michels among others have been used to establish a deeper understanding. Despite being touted as the leader of the free world America still struggles to reconcile its liberal ideals with violence suffered in schools by some children.

The Evolution of Securing the American K-12 Educational Environment with Armed Police Officers

Over the course of time we have seen a dramatic shift in the protection and security of our school system. With the increasing media coverage of school violence the general public has responded with a demand and a push for a safer educational environment for our children. This chapter addresses the movement from very limited school security through full time armed police officers responsible for the school campus. The chapter focuses on policy response to school shootings and covers a wide range of police and school response.

Response to School Violence

This chapter sets forth to examine the different forms of violence that are present within U.S. school systems along with the general response to these acts. Acts of institutional and personal violence will be discussed along with the potential harm that each act presents. While institutional violence often goes ignored, the impact of these acts can have a substantial negative influence on the life and future career of children. Alternatively, instances of personal violence frequently receive substantial media attention while also causing high levels of fear among the American public regarding the safety of our schools. The most publicized and heinous type of personal violence that has transpired within school settings is events involving an active shooter(s). In addition to identifying the various types of violence, suggestions for improvement and preparedness are offered to reduce the prevalence of violence within schools.

The RSVP Model

A model to remediate (eliminate) the global problem of school violence is proposed in this 3-phase plan that is strategic and comprehensive in scope, yet basic in terms of interlocking phases (Preparation, Response, Long-Term Recovery). Each phase consists of critical and practical components that are supported in the research literature for school and classroom implementation. Collectively, the model embraces a child's emotional wellness, recognizes deficits, and provides intervention to facilitate healing before perpetrating violence. Phase I consists of school-wide screening to identify and remediate deficiencies in socio-emotional skills, protective factors toward resiliency, and emotional and psychological wellness in preparation for violence. Phase II consists of emergency response. Phase III consists of therapeutic interventions, which are designed and delivered by community professionals based on student need. Phase III programming focuses on identifying and minimizing posttraumatic stress after a traumatic event for all survivors. The RSVP model diagram is included.