UNIVERSITY OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO SCHOOL FOR STUDIES IN

LEARNING COGNITION AND EDUCATION

Course Name: Contemporary Issues in Education

Course Code: CIED4001

Instructor: Mrs. Leela Ramsook

Assignment: Research Paper

Assignment Due Date: 06/05/14

Student Name: Christina Sookdeo

Student ID: 52927

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Causative Factors of School Violence

While school violence may not have been a critical problem in Trinidad and Tobago a

decade or so ago, it has assumed a high profile in many of our schools today. Thus, this research

paper will focus on explaining the causative factors of school violence, and it will also outline

preventative strategies to address these issues. The term “school violence” emerged in 1992

(Eisenbraun, 2007). Throughout the research literature, school violence has been defined in

many ways with no one definition accepted as final (Furlong, Morrison, Chung, Bates, &

Morrison, 1997). Definitions of school violence represent a continuum of behaviors (Lewis,

Brock, & Lazarus, 2002) revolving around physical harm, psychological harm, and property

damage (Astor, Pitner, Benbenishty, & Meyer, 2002). However, school violence is not a

coincidence or ‘natural occurrence’, as there are factors that directly and indirectly cause this.

The causative factors of school violence will be examined in these main areas: individual factors

(poor academic performance, unstructured free time, and personality traits), environmental

factors (immediate environments including schools, communities, and families), and the

influence of media.

Each individual is responsible for their own behaviours, thoughts, and actions. However,

there are causative factors that can affect the way they behave. One of these is poor academic

performance. Poor academic performance has consistently predicted later delinquency (Maugin

& Loeber, 1996). Children often tend to compare themselves to others in order to feel a sense of

security and belonging. When a child is unable to perform well academically in comparison to

that of his or her peers, it affects his/her self-esteem, and confidence, thereby giving way to

negative notions such as anger, depression which can lead to ‘acting out’ behaviours. According

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to Farrington (1989), even at a young age, academic failure in elementary school also increases

risk for later violent behavior. During what is known as the ‘sensitive period’ in the early years

of a person’s life, the experiences they have shape their personality and attitudes/beliefs that they

hold true to themselves later on in life. Therefore, if a young child who is academically ‘slower’

than his peers due to his differences in development or special needs, is often picked on or left

behind, this can lead to violent behaviours as a means to get attention or feel better. As teachers,

we can prevent these occurrences by working one-on-one with the child from a young age,

focusing on the child’s strengths instead of weaknesses, giving that child opportunity to shine

when they perform well, and using constant encouragement coupled with child-centered

strategies to target their specific needs.

Another individual factor that can cause violent school behaviours is unstructured free

time. When children are left alone in their class because of teacher absenteeism they often find

unproductive ways to bide their time. This issue is becoming more rampant in the schools in

Trinidad and Tobago as some teachers are often found late, absent, or in staff rooms during their

allocated class time. Some children need to be constantly monitored and occupied doing

productive tasks in order to keep them out of trouble. When excessive free time is given, they

may find themselves causing fights, and abusing others in order to gain attention or bide their

time. Additionally, truant youth and those who drop out of school before the age of fifteen are

more likely to engage in violent behavior which in turn affects the school they came from and

society in which they live (Maugin & Loeber, 1996). To prevent this from occurring, teachers

who know they will be late or absent must give notice beforehand in order for another teacher or

assistant to take their place for the time. Teachers must also be responsible and professional and

attend all their classes as this is their job and their commitment to the students and society.

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Personality traits is also a factor that can lead to school violence. The personality of the

student proves critical in assessing the potential for violence. Certain traits of a child or

adolescent raise concern. In particular, individuals who eventually commit school homicides

exhibit behavior ‘leakage’ (Mohandie & O’Toole, 2000). This refers to a student’s intentional or

unintentional disclosure of thoughts, fantasies, feelings, and possible intentions. Examples

include boasts, predictions, subtle threats, stories, essays, poems, and drawings. Leakage also can

take the form of a fascination with violence and violent entertainment (e.g., video games and

movies). According to the American Medical Association (2001), nearly fifty percent of school

homicide perpetrators exhibit some type of warning sign, including leaving notes or making a

verbal threat. However, aside from ‘leakages’ each individual has certain personality traits that

may make them susceptible to engage in school violence. Children who are depressed, often

manifest anger and irritability. Additionally, those with low frustration tolerance, poor coping

skills, and a lack of resiliency when faced with stressful situations or conflicts (e.g., end of a

romantic relationship, betrayal of peers, peer pressure) may engage in school violence to resolve

their problems. Personality traits are embedded within an individual therefore, the teacher need

to be aware of each student’s characteristics and personalities. By being aware of this, teachers

can plan for intervention, counselling, and use strategies that promote problem-solving, self-

improvement, and peace, rather than resorting to violence.

 Immediate environments including schools, communities, peer groups, and families can

exert a powerful influence on young persons' attitudes and behaviors. The population size of the

school is a factor to consider when discussing school violence. In Trinidad and Tobago, the

school population is steadily increasing in some schools, to the point of overcrowding in

classrooms, and the severe lack of resources. The teacher child ratio is above the norm and this

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can lead to many more behavioural problems as students may fight for attention, space and

resources. To prevent or reduce these problems, teachers can move from the classroom

sometimes to a more open and safe space (outside of the class) where children can breathe and

function properly. They must also utilize the environment that they have to their best abilities,

use engaging and child-centered strategies, and engage in good classroom management skills.

The community from which a child comes is also a factor that can cause the display of

school violence. As with schools and families, communities can neglect children. If our

communities are not responsive to the needs of families and their children, this neglect can

develop into school violence. Children model what they see. Therefore, if a child grows up in a

community of drugs, alcohol, abuse, obscene language, and violence, this child is likely to be

influenced to do the same. However, it is important to note that not all children will engage in

school violence because of these factors. These children are often known as ‘resilient’. However

for children who are more vulnerable to these influences, their belief and value system will be

very different from those of a more morally-centered environment which may cause the teachers

and peers to be confused by their actions and reasons for the same. Teachers must be active

members of the community and interested in the life of the child outside of the school

compounds. It is very important that teachers integrate morals and values into each lesson or

activity, have students role-play situations and come up with solutions themselves, and allow

children to set rules and regulations together with the teacher to better manage behaviour and

avoid violence.

The family plays a large role in influencing a child’s behaviour. Although our culture

expects the family to deal with childhood problems, contemporary society makes it difficult for

parents to meet all their children's needs. The current economy, for example, often demands that

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both parents work; more children are raised by single parents including teenage mothers; and

some children are subjected by their parents to neglect or physical, sexual, and substance abuse.

An abusive marriage or a particularly hostile divorce can have damaging effects on children. An

adolescent who lives in a chaotic and neglectful home environment may develop poor coping

and social skills and behavior problems primarily due to exposure to violence and inadequate

parenting (McCloskey, Figueredo, & Koss, 1995). Ideally, parents nurture and reinforce positive

behavior. When parents fail to do so, children may develop negative--and often violent--behavior

patterns. In addition, neglectful or abusive family environments can inhibit the development of

communication skills, and self-esteem can be seriously damaged. In homes where positive

behavior is not the norm, exposure to violence through popular culture may have a more

profound impact. Again, teachers must take an active interest in all areas of the child’s life,

including their family life. Teachers must provide a safe and secure school environment where

children can feel free to talk to others about their problems. Teachers must also understand each

child’s unique perspective and help them and their families in whatever way they can to further

the child’s educational experience.

Another factor that causes school violence in many cases, is the influence of the media.

Cyber bullying is on the rise, with students engaging in verbally aggressive behavior on social

networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, and instant-messenger services (Harmon,

2004). Adolescents are extremely sensitive to rejection and the opinions of peers, both of which

can serve as catalysts for revenge. Any bullying should be seriously assessed as it can be

indicative of more serious problems, such as weapon carrying and fighting. Violent, internet-

based video games have also grown in popularity as cyber technology becomes more

sophisticated. Computerized video games were first introduced to the public in the 1970’s.

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Today, many popular video games feature high levels of realistic violence. Researchers have

found that high school students who had more exposure to violent video games held "more pro-

violent attitudes, had more hostile personalities, were less forgiving, believed violence to be

more normal, and behaved more aggressively in their everyday lives" (Slaby, 1992). Through

television also, the media’s portrayals of violent behavior as a common and appropriate way to

solve problems lead young people to become desensitized to and accepting of violence. Teachers

must be aware of the severity of this issue and immediately attend to it. Children must be taught

the proper ways to use technology, to help their friends and to stop cyberbullying. Parents must

also play a role as they monitor what children view on the television. However, this is hardly the

case in most homes as society has become somewhat desensitized to the violence. Teachers can

hold workshops, or parent-teacher conferences, or even a family day where they can focus on

addressing the importance of this issue in regards to working towards abolishing the negative

effect of the media in the lives of their children.

It is established that no child is born violent. Children become violent due to the factors

or influences from the world they live in. Factors such as poor academic performance,

unstructured free time, personality traits, immediate environments including schools,

communities, and families, and the influence of media all contribute to school violence. To

prevent school violence, the teacher plays the main role in the life of the child. Teachers must

always encourage children’s strengths rather than weaknesses, attend all classes and teach with a

purpose to cater for each child, get to know each child individually, communicate and make a

positive impact with the child’s family and community, and guide children in using the resources

and technology they have for productive and non-harmful purposes. When these are done, and

school violence is still the outcome of the child’s behaviour children must be referred to

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specialists for proper guidance, counselling, and intervention to aid them in becoming more

productive and caring citizens.

References

A. Harmon, "Internet Gives Teenage Bullies Weapons to Wound from Afar,” New York

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Times, August 26, 2004.

American Medical Association, “School-Associated Violent Deaths in the United States,

1994-1999," Journal of the American Medical Association 286, no. 21 (2001):

2695-2702.

Astor, R. A., Pitner, R. O., Benbenishty, R., & Meyer, H. A. (2002). Public concerns and

focus on school violence. In L. A. Rapp-Paglicci, A. R. Roberts, & J. S. Wodarski

(Eds.), Handbook of violence (pp. 262-302). New York, NY: John Wiley and

Sons.

Eisenbraun, K. D. (2007). Violence in schools: Prevalence, predication, and prevention.

Aggression and Violent Behavior, 12, 459-469.

Farrington DP (1989) Early predictors of adolescent aggression and adult violence. Violence and

Victims 4:79-100.

Furlong, M. J., & Morrison, G. M. (2000). The school in school violence. Journal of

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 8, 71–82.

K. Mohandie, M.E. O’Toole. School Violence Threat Assessment. (2000). San Diego, CA:

Specialized Training Services.

L.A. McCloskey, A.J. Figueredo, and M.P. Koss, “The Effects of Systemic Family Violence on

Children’s Mental Health,” Child Development 66, no. 5 (1995): 1239-1261; and

J. Osofsky, “The Impact of Violence on Children,” The Future of Children 9, no.

3 (1999): 33-49.

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Lewis, S., Brock, S. E., & Lazarus, P. J. (2002). Identifying troubled youth. In S. E.

Brock, P. J. Lazarus, & S. R. Jimerson (Eds.), Best practices in school crisis

prevention and intervention (pp. 249-271). Bethesda, MD: National Association

of School Psychologists.

Maugin E and Loeber R (1996) Academic performance and delinquency. In Crime and Justice:

A Review of Research. 20: 145-264. Ed: M. Tonry. University of Chicago Press,

Chicago, IL.

Slaby S. (1992) Television Violence: Effects and Remedies. Testimony to the U.S. House of

Representatives Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Criminal

Justice.

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