Name

nInstitution

nCourse

nEducational and Curricula-based Policy to Mitigate School Violence

nViolence in schools is a serious problem that negatively affects the quality of education in United States. Strategies to improve the quality of education in school will face several challenges if school violence is not addressed (Shafii and Shafii, 3). This is because violence in schools makes it difficult for the students to learn no matter how good the curriculum and teachers are. School violence is perpetuated against teachers and students and ranges from intentional quarrels to accidental murders of bystanders. The best policy to mitigate the effects and causes of school violence is development of new educational and curricula programs to address the “root causes” which will improve teacher-students relationship as well as enhance self-esteem among students.

nStudents involved in school violence are given the chance to express themselves through mentoring programs that boost self-esteem and discourage gang membership. Besides, individual conflict resolution programs give each student the power to recognize and prevent conflict amongst them (Shafii and Shafii, 4). Anger management programs and communication skills actually help the students to acquire self-control skills thus diffusing conflict. Once the students are educated on problem solving skills they are urged to utilize it in specific issues such as peer conflicts. In addition, peer education and mentoring groups in schools is very effective in preventing violence among peers especially with regard to drugs, family violence and use of guns.

nMoreover, educational programs such as “Resolving Conflict Creativity Program” train students mediators. This is an efficient program that equips students with skills of anger-management and ways of avoiding confrontations (Shafii and Shafii, 4). The program also assigns the students the responsibilities to manage conflict amongst them to reach an amicable agreement. Besides, students are able to take responsibilities of their own actions hence they significantly reduce school crime. Therefore, making the initial steps of educating the young people on how to self-control, self-esteem and gang prevention will go a long way in mitigating the effects of school violence.

n

nWorks cited

nShafii, Mohammad, and Sharon Lee Shafii. School Violence. 1st ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, 2001. Print.