SCHOOL VIOLENCE
An atmosphere of caring and gratitude encourages everyone to
work together and feel part of something greater than themselves.
Specic projects such as tending to a school garden, community
giving, or peer mentoring gives students a strong sense of
ownership and investment in their school. In addition, teachers
come to connect with students and are put in a better position
to recognize when a student needs additional attention or help.
Schools that provide regular opportunities for service,
extracurricular activities, and cooperative learning provide
safe and healthy options to motivate students to connect with
one another in ways that foster healthy relationships, promote
successful futures, and reduce violence. Schools that strive to
create a positive community environment will hear students say:
My school/class is like family.
My classmates work together and help one another.
My teachers are approachable and make time for students.
At a minimum, schools can foster an escalation of kindness.
Cultivating kindness does not require a budget or a vote to
implement and the effects can be immediate, contagious, and
lasting. Acts of kindness and gratitude help students to develop
compassion and empathy. These efforts have other positive
effects, too. Acts like these release dopamine (the feel-good’
neurotransmitter in the brain) and are shown to increase focus
and memory, buffer the effects of stress or negativity, and lead
to an improved sense of well-being.
FOSTER COMMUNICATION
Teachers have a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of
fostering a safe environment where students feel comfortable
sharing their ideas and discussing issues. Even a brief block of
time dedicated to community circle, class meetings, or advisory
can provide quality time for the teacher to model affective
listening and encourage students to speak and listen to each
other in a respectful and supportive atmosphere at any age.
Constructive discussions can also equip students with the tools
they need to practice effective conict resolution. Comprehensive
conict resolution programs are available to foster team-building,
problem-solving, self-control, assertiveness, and leadership skills.
Teaching students how to peacefully resolve their conicts
encourages non-violence and fosters positive relationships
among students. Some schools have also found peer mediation
programs to be a valuable resource to prevent violence and
encourage higher social skills between peers. Feedback from
these programs indicates a correlation with safer and more
productive learning environments.
Classroom meetings can play an important role in the
development of students’ social, emotional, moral, and intellectual
development. This approach to effective communication can
be easily incorporated into the classroom and offers students
consistent opportunities to solve problems and practice skills in a
supportive structure. This format is student-led and strengthens
interpersonal skills and a sense of community in the classroom.
Now more than ever, schools need to make community-building
a priority. The research supports the benets of programs
that build character, teach peaceful conict resolution, and
inspire effective communication in our schools. Inspiring a
school-wide culture of connectedness through kindness,
caring, and respect, is certainly not the answer to all our
concerns - but it sure is a great place to start.