Not only teachers, but also students can be violent – and most teachers can't do anything about it.
Teachers across the country have shared their insights on the most effective strategies for handling student violence, according to a nationwide study.
Let's find out what they've discovered.
Coping with violence
Contrary to the popularity of "zero tolerance" policies, educators rated suspending or expelling students as the least effective method.
Instead, they highlighted prevention policies, such as counseling for troubled students and creating a positive school climate, as the most successful strategies for addressing violence.
The study emphasized that exclusionary discipline practices were linked to a higher likelihood of teachers experiencing violence.
Removal of students through suspension or expulsion may escalate tensions and contribute to further violence.
The study's data, gathered through a web survey of 4,470 teachers, revealed that prevention practices, crisis intervention, and school hardening measures were more positively associated with reducing violence.
Why it's important
Teachers stressed the importance of proactive approaches, such as counseling and improving the school environment, to prevent and minimize violent incidents.
The findings challenge the notion that excluding "problematic" students makes schools safer and underscore the value of preventive measures in addressing the root causes of violent behavior.
Previously, we talked about how poor growing conditions affect kids.
