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Preventing the Occurrence of School Violence

The increasing cases of violence have become so alarming and deserve urgent attention. No one is happy with the number of killings going on in different parts of the world in the name of school violence. Obviously something needs to be done and fast. In USA where the severity of the incidence is seriously felt, some measures are already being taken with a view to combating the menace. The body assigned with the responsibility of creating a program that will be aimed at eradicating the vise, is Center for Disease Control, CDC. Let us consider the strategies of violence control as formulated by this center, as sourced from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at www.en.wikipedia.org.

 

The CDC violence prevention program identified four levels at which the program can be implemented. The four levels include

-          The Society Generally

-          The School Community

-          The Family

-          The Individual

 

 We shall now examine how the recommendation at each level contributes in preventing violence.

 

Society Level: The society level prevention strategy is concerned with improving the social and cultural conditions of the members of the society with a view to minimizing the violence in the society generally, not only the school oriented ones. In this strategy, media violence will be reduced, social norms and values will be reviewed and educational system will be restructured.

 

School Wide Strategy: In this strategy, every fundamental aspect of the school program that has something to do with violence will be improved to meet up with the objective of preventing the occurrence of violence. Here suggestions for classroom management techniques were given, cooperative learning was encouraged and close surveillance on students was also part of the suggestions. An effective strategy among the recommendations is called the Good Behavior Game. All steps required to reduce bully is seriously recommended.

 

Family Relationship: The relationship of the members of the family needs to be improved a great deal.

 

Individual Level Strategy: This strategy focuses attention on students with violent trait or aggressive nature as well as those that are likely to be engaged in these types of behaviors. Other programs include methods of resolving conflict and how to get together to work collectively as a group for better results. ‘Universal Anti-aggression Component’ aimed at discouraging aggression at the elementary level, was part of the developed strategy. Separate social skills and academic tutorials programs are also developed.

 

This is about the size of the strategy developed by the center. It is clear that it covers the vital areas that discourage the possibilities of acquiring the violent trait as well as aggression in the child. What is more is for other countries of the world to follow suit and either embrace these strategies if they are suitable for them, or make amendments on them, or better still develop the strategies that will suit them best in this campaign to put a halt to this ugly menace.