The Origins of School Violence

Pre-service and in-service training for teachers and administrators can vary between institutions. Some formal education programs train teachers for curriculum development, leadership characteristics, lesson planning, and subject-based knowledge acquisition. However, some pre-service teacher education institutions and in-service professional development programs may not formally address the antecedents to conflict and violence within school environments. Within the United States, rates of teenage violence (ages 13-19 years) exceed other developed countries. Many manifestations of conflict and violence both exist and lead to youth substance abuse, lowered academic achievement, mental illness, suicidal ideation, and social distrust. Examining the perceptions educators have regarding school violence prevention is needed. The Origins of School Violence does just that! This book examines the cyclical nature of an overall lack of understanding regarding the causes of school violence-straight from the hearts and minds of high school educators and administrators. The absence of a formal education at the undergraduate, graduate and in-service training levels of education for teachers and administrators are akin to throwing gasoline on a fire. This lack of a formal education leads to unworkable district-forced policies, forced prevention programs that are built on quicksand, State political officials that adopt such indoctrinating programs, and workplace distrust among school-based employees and students alike. The Origins of School Violence provides firsthand testimonies from educators and administrators, as well as solutions that are simple and effective in order to prevent school-based violence.