School violence is any act intended to physically harm someone at an educational institution. The most common acts of violence are assaults. Such acts include students hitting or shoving other students and usually do not result in anyone being seriously injured. Fatal acts of violence, such as school shootings, are relatively rare compared with nonfatal ones.
There is no single profile (list of psychological traits) for someone who commits a serious act of violence at school. Many acts of violence are committed as a form of bullying , in which a student or group of students attempts to humiliate a weaker victim. Other cases may involve students caught up in peer conflict that is not bullying. Peer conflict involves disputes between students of the same age. Teachers are sometimes the victims of a student’s verbal abuse and threats of violence. In some extreme cases, teachers become victims of physical assault.
Well-publicized stories of violence and drug problems at city schools in the United States led Congress to pass the Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994. The act made it illegal to carry a gun within 1,000 feet (305 meters) of a school’s grounds. Under the act, schools were allowed to expel students who brought firearms to school. This practice of expelling students for any violation of a specific rule is called zero tolerance. Soon after the passage of the Gun-Free Schools Act, zero-tolerance policies expanded. They began to include other offenses that did not pose a risk of violence. For example, some students were expelled for bringing water pistols or plastic knives to school.
Many education experts and law enforcement specialists disagree with zero-tolerance policies. They recommend that schools instead adopt threat-assessment approaches. Using threat assessment, schools attempt to evaluate risks and to identify truly dangerous students. They then try to find appropriate ways to change these students’ behavior.
In 1999, a deadly shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, drew international attention to the problem of school violence. Columbine students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 12 fellow students, a teacher, and themselves. The brutality of their actions raised great public concern. Many schools adopted such security measures as installing metal detectors and hiring police officers.
Schools have also increased their focus on preventive measures. These measures include the use of antibullying programs, conflict resolution, and mentoring programs. Many authorities recommend that schools establish a positive school climate in which students feel supported by their teachers and are willing to seek help when there is a threat of violence.
