Coping
with
the
Unthinkable:
Violence
in
SDA
Schools
ane
Simpson
loved
teaching.
Beginning
her
second
year
in
the
classroom,
and
only
24,
she
still
thought
that
she
could
change
the
world.
But
her
new
class
at
the
Glen
Park
Elemen-
tary
School
in
Fort
Worth,
Texas,
never
got
to
meet
her.
A
few
days
before
school
started,
Jane
Simpson
was
stabbed
to
death
in
a
portable
class-
room
where
she
had
been
working
alone.
Charges
against
a
12-year-old
who
confessed
to
the
crime
were
later
dropped
because
of
lack
of
evidence!
Tragedies
such
as
this
don’t
happen
only
in
large
inner-city
schools.
They
can
occur
anywhere.
School
violence
spans
geography,
race,
gender,
and
religion.
According
to
the
1987
National
Crime
Survey,
in
just
one
vear
nearly
184,000
people
were
injured
as
a
result
of
crimes
in
US.
schools?
School
personnel
need
to
recognize
the
causes
of
student
violence.
Low-
achieving
students
who
feel
alienated
from
school
activities
tend
to
act
out
their
frustrations
through
disruptive
and
violent
behavior.
Victims
of
low
self-esteem,
these
students
tend
to
be
nonsocial,
excitable,
impatient,
and
unrestrained.
Research
shows
that
the
following
factors
contribute
to
school
violence:
®
Students’
perception
of
the
consis-
tency
and
firmness
of
rule
enforce-
ment,
®
Student
disengagement
from
the
learning
process
and
from
the
school
community,*
®
Family
crises,
such
as
divorce,
unemployment,
child
abuse,
and
major
changes
in
family
roles.”
Many
schools
have
detailed
plans
indicating
what
to
do
in
case
of
natural
disasters
such
as
earthquakes
or
tor-
nadoes.
However,
there
is
a
tendency
to
think
that
school
violence
“can’t
happen
here.”
As
a
result,
few
schools
have
developed
any
written
or
oral
procedures
to
prevent
violence
or
to
deal
with
the
consequences
when
it
occurs.
Because
of
the
traumatic
conse-
quences
of
assaults,
shootings,
harass-
By
Dale
Johnson
School
violence
spans
geography,
race,
gender,
and
religion.
ment,
date
rape,
and
suicide,
schools
should
do
everything
possible
to
pre-
vent
them
from
happening
and
have
a
plan
of
action
ready
if
such
incidents
do
occur.
Schools
also
need
to
develop
programs
to
deal
with
psychological
problems
produced
by
these
kinds
of
tragedies.
Schools
can
successfully
implement
programs
to
control
violence.
One
approach
that
has
proved
successful
involves
interpersonal
cognitive
prob-
lem
solving.
Students
learn
to
think
about
alternative
solutions
to
problems,
causal
and
consequential
thinking,
interpersonal
sensitivity,
means-end
thinking,
and
perspective
taking.
This
type
of
program
secks
to
change
stu-
dents’
attitudes,
to
develop
skills
for
resolving
problems,
and
to
develop
tol-
erance
levels
so
that
students
do
not
act
impulsively.
Structured
learning
groups
provide
another
way
to
reduce
aggression
and
violent
behavior
in
children
and
ado-
lescents.
This
program
consists
of
modeling,
role-playing,
feedback,
and
transfer
of
training.
Individual
deficien-
cies
are
assessed
through
a
check
list,
and
then
trainers
work
with
five
to
eight
trainees
twice
a
week
to
help
them
learn
acceptable
behavior.
Approximately
50
skills
can
be
taught
in
this
manner,
including
avoiding
trouble
with
others,
keeping
out
of
fights,
and
responding
to
accusations.’
Research
suggests
that
school
per-
sonnel
can
use
counseling
and
student
involvement
to
prevent
disruptive
behavior?
Individual
or
group
counsel-
ing
support
can
lessen
the
feelings
of
powerlessness,
anger,
incompetence,
frustration,
and
alienation
that
cause
violent
acting
out
by
students.
Increas-
ing
student
involvement
in
soctal
and
curricular
activities
decreases
violent
behavior,
strengthens
personal
com-
mitment
to
the
educational
process,
and
improves
self-esteem
and
self-
concept.’
Any
program
that
teaches
positive
values
and
behaviors,
such
as
values
clarification,
character
education,
or
Kohlberg’s
moral
education,
will
help
to
resolve
problems
of
school
violence.
Social
skills
training
has
been
effective
in
controlling
violent
behavior
and
in
helping
students
accept
community
standards."
Church
school
teachers
can
conduct
such
programs
by
offer-
ing
Bible
laboratories,
analyzing
moral
dilemmas,
and
constantly
teaching
and
modeling
the
components
of
a
morally
principled
life.
Physical
and
Structural
Factors
Physical
and
structural
factors
also
influence
the
probability
of
school
vio-
lence.
Certain
areas,
such
as
hallways,
corridors,
washrooms,
secluded
arcas,
and
hidden
corners
are
more
likely
to
be
the
scene
for
violence
or
intimida-
tion.
Preventive
measures
include
the
following:
installing
security
systems
to
protect
against
vandalism,
burglary,
and
arson;
providing
bright
lighting
and
fences
to
create
a
safer
environment;
implementing
an
identification
system
to
screen
persons
coming
onto
the
campus;
and
using
personal
alarm
sys-
tems
or
intercoms
to
protect
faculty
members
and
students.
Administrators
need
to
take
decisive
action
to
ensure
the
safety
of
students
and
teachers
on
their
campuses.
Fail-
ure
to
do
so
can
have
disastrous
con-
sequences.
Within
the
past
year
several
students
have
been
raped
on
Adventist
campuses.
A
contributing
cause
was
the
lack
of
adequate
lighting
in
parking
areas
and
on
well-traveled
sidewalks.
In
one
case
concern
over
the
violent
behavior
prompted
administrators
to
quickly
install
proper
lighting.
However,
at
another
school,
three
months
after
ADVENTIST
EDUCATION
»
DECEMBER
1990
-
JANUARY
1991
21