Carolyn N. Kinder
Male-male violence, male-female violence, female-female violence, and group to group Violence are major issues in society today. The roots of violence are too deeply entwined in the American culture and mind to be solved alone. These complex problems require schools, parents, and communities working together to make school safe. It is the responsibilities of parents, schools and communities to address such life-threatening issues. Since schools are our society’s primary source of socializing children, then it is the place where plans and comprehensive strategies can be made to deal with some of the complexities of violence. However, this does not mean that children must wait to enter schools before they practice socially appropriate behavior. Parents and community members can play a major role in influencing children’s behavior concerning violence by establishing guidelines and monitoring their exposure to violence in the family, community and media.
Students should become actively engaged in activities that help them deal with their anger. They need ways to work out their own solution to problems. In addition to a school plan, experts say, each individual in the school has to be part of the solution on a personal level. For example, peer mediation by trained mediators is needed to help resolve conflict. By using peer mediators both sides in a dispute hear each other out and work toward a solution that both can accept. Teaching conflict resolution, which include teaching staff and student’ rules, expectations give them the skills needed to handle their anger. Peer-mediation experts say it can help students to work out problems before they have the opportunity to grow into violent incidents.
School personnel can not allow bullying to go on at school. On a personal level, students must know that they can be tough by backing down. Sometimes the smartest thing to do is to walk away from a confrontation. It takes more guts- and much more energy to remain calm than to give in to anger and fight. Students should understand that their response is an ancient instinctive urge that they do not have to obey.
Police says most youth homicides result from someone not backing down from a fight. Students must understand ways of dealing with confrontations. There are times to use reason or humor, and times to assert yourself when you are angry. Students must learn to have appropriate range of reactions to deal with violent behavior.
Listening and using active listening skills and repeating aloud the other person’s viewpoints to make sure the problem is understood are smart. Also, students must pay attention to each other’s body language. Sometimes, just looking at a person may make them feel threaten, angry and cause a major fight. It is important to learn to be assertive when it is safe and appropriate. At other times, it is important to use responses like, do not do that, or stop it, while walking away. Anger and combativeness only escalate conflict.
It is important to teach students to get tough on themselves and become firm about being responsible for their own behavior. Taking deep breaths and counting when you feel angry helps to calm you down. Students should keep themselves calm during confrontations and avoid bad situations. It is important to have supportive groups, to walk away, or to take another way home to avoid confrontation with someone who is angry with you. 15
In summary, the problem of violence in our society causes great concern for all of us. However, there are no simple solutions to the problem of violence. The roots of violence are many and require comprehensive strategies. Parents, schools and community can implement effective programs to combat violence.
The following Pre-Test will be given to student before lessons are given and will be given as a Post-Test after lessons are completed. The results can be used to determine the effectiveness of the lessons on students’ attitudes and behaviors.