By PWPORG, a 501(c)(3) built by law enforcement and security industry practitioners and educators to provide educational resources to kids, families and communities on safety and emergency preparedness.
What is School Violence
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines School Violence as “youth violence that occurs on school property, on the way to or from school or school-sponsored events, or during a school-sponsored event.”
“A young person can be a victim, a perpetrator, or a witness of school violence. School violence may also involve or impact adults.”
It is important to not only understand what school violence is but how to recognize the signs.
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Missing school due to safety concerns
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Low academic grades
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Carrying a weapon
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Suicidal thoughts or behavior
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Risky sexual behavior
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Overweight or obesity
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Feelings of sadness or hopelessness
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Substance use
These are all indicators that a child may be a victim of violence.
(Youth violence is a significant public health problem that affects thousands of young people each day, and in turn, their families, schools, and communities. Youth violence is widespread in the United States and is the third leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10 and 24. Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and YouTube.)
https://www.cdc.gov/injury/features/teen-violence-impact/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/pdfs/mm7005a4-H.pdf
Bullying and Cyberbullying
Bullying involves unwanted, aggressive behavior among children in school.
Two things need to be present in order for it to be considered bullying: an imbalance in power and repetition.
There are three types of bullying according to Stopbullying.com:
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Verbal Bullying which involves teasing, name-calling, threats, etc.
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Social Bullying which involves leaving someone out of the group, spreading rumors, embarrassing someone, etc.
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Physical Bullying which involves hitting, spitting, breaking someone’s things, etc.
Cyberbullying is a form of bullying that occurs online through a child’s phone, computer, or other electronic devices.
Cyberbullying can occur across many platforms that include:
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Social Media
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Text messaging and messaging apps on mobile or tablet devices
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Instant messaging, direct messaging, and online chatting over the internet
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Online forums, chat rooms, and message boards, such as Reddit
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Email
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Online gaming communities
(One in five children in the United States experience bullying where a peer harasses, humiliates, or threatens repeatedly. Bullying can have negative psychological, physical, and academic effects. To learn more about bullying prevention visit Stopbullying.gov. Courtesy of StopyBullying.gov and YouTube.)
https://www.StopBullying.gov/ is an amazing resource created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that helps parents, kids, and educators learn how to recognize, prevent, and respond to bullying.
Peer Pressure
Growing up is hard for kids. They are finding out who they are, their interests, and who they look up to.
Some kids are able to channel themselves into positive outlets, such as sports or education, but others fall into negative temptations.
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U.S. Department of Education’s Friendships — Helping Your Child Through Early Adolescence
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The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s Peer Pressure
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KidsHealth.org’s Peer Pressure (For Parents)
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KidsHealth.org’s Dealing With Peer Pressure (For Kids)
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APT Parenting’s Peer Pressure Statistics That’ll Rouse You to Deal With the Issue
(In this video, we’ll be talking all about teen peer pressure and its signs as well as providing you with some ways in which you can talk with your children about how to handle peer pressure. Courtesy of Sam.K Tweens & Teens and YouTube.)
Childish Challenges
A new trend among children is engaging in competitive “Challenges” posted on social media platforms. Most of these challenges are fun dances or activities that kids can record and share on the platform.
However, there are some that can be very harmful to kids, their classmates, their teachers, and their schools.
There has been a recent challenge posted in which kids are encouraged to steal items from their schools such as paper towel holders, hand sanitizer, soap dispensers, and more.
On one social media platform (TikTok), this challenge is known as the “Devious Licks” Challenge and has resulted in schools having to close their bathrooms due to the destruction caused by the students.
(Just last month, a viral theme on the social media platform TikTok led to widespread damage in schools across the country. Known as the “devious licks” challenge, it encouraged students to record themselves stealing or vandalizing school property, then posting the video online. Our Student Reporting Labs network asked young people and school staff about its effects on school communities. Courtesy of PBS NewsHour and YouTube. Posted on Oct 25, 2021.)
Kristen Mei Chase has written a great article for the Washington Post which advises parents on this trend and also provides advice on how to talk to kids about it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/09/21/devious-licks-parenting-advice/
There is, reportedly, another more violent challenge emerging among school-aged kids, the “Slap Your Teacher” Challenge. This challenge shows kids physically assaulting teachers and has resulted in the arrest of teens across the country.
Although there is some speculation on whether this is a real challenge or not, it is important to talk to kids about the consequences of this kind of unacceptable behavior.
The social media platform TikTok has also been used to post challenges outside of school which resulted in injuries to kids. These include the “Tide Pod” Challenge (ingesting), and the “Milk Crate” Challenge (a dangerous exercise).
Awareness of these trends on social media platforms provide a great opportunity for open and candid family conversations.
Below is a great article from Psychology Today, “How to Talk to Your Kids About Challenges Appearing on Social Media Platforms: Rules and Boundaries for Social Media”.
Mental Health and Wellness for Kids
Teaching kids when they are young to value wellness will help them develop better coping and communication skills and give them the courage to confide in trusted adults and school counselors when issues arise.
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“Being mentally healthy during childhood means reaching developmental and emotional milestones and learning healthy social skills and how to cope when there are problems. Mentally healthy children have a positive quality of life and can function well at home, in school, and in their communities.” –
For Parents
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MHA Youth Mental Health
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Mental Health America (MHA) Children’s Mental Health Matters Factsheet
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NASP Care for Caregivers: Tips for Families and Educators
For Kids and Teens:
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PBS Feeling’s Games for Kids
- PBS Emotional Growth Games for Kids
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Mindfulness Websites/Apps
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Coping Skills for Kids
(Today’s adolescents are engaging less in some risky behaviors, yet they need help in other areas as they navigate the teen years. Listen as Dr. John Iskander and Dr. Kathleen Ethier discuss the recent results of a national Youth Risk Behavior survey to learn about the progress being made and the challenges that remain. Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and YouTube.)
Benefits of School Psychologists and Counselors
School Psychologists and Counselors are essential in the schools. They help improve academic acheivement, promote positive behavior and mental health, create a positive and safe school environment, and more.
Learn more about the positive benefits of School Psychologists and Counselors.
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NASP’s The Value of School Psychologists -
NASP’s Who Are School Psychologists
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American School Counselor Association (ASCA) The School Counselor and Student Mental Health
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GoodTherapy.org’s School Counseling
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KidsHealth.org’s School Counselors (For Kids)
Violence Prevention Resources
Here is a list of resources for parents and educators to help them better understand how to prevent all kinds of violence in schools, from bullying to active threat incidents.
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StopBullying.gov Prevention at School
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StopBullying.gov Set Policies and Rules
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Stopbullying.gov Assess Bullying
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Stopbullying.gov Bullying Prevention in Extracurricular Activities
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Stopbullying.gov Help Children Build Resilience
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National Association for School Psychologists’ (NASP) Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers
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NASP School Violence Prevention
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CDC’s A Comprehensive Technical Package for the Prevention of Youth Violence and Associated Risk Behaviors
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CDC’s Creating Protective Community Environments to Support Healthy Youth Development and Prevent Youth Violence
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Center on PBIS Bullying Prevention
Copyright PWPORG.ORG – Republished with permission
To download your own copy of the ‘School Violence Mini Resource Guide‘ to share with your family, friends, and community members, please go to www.pwporg.org/resources/.
Also available are the following titles:
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Planning Always Matters: Build Your Own Family Preparedness Kit
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Preparedness Always Matters: The Readiness Radar: The Calm Before the Storm
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Cyber Preparedness Always Matters: 3 Minutes to Preparedness: 6 Steps to Cyber Hygiene
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Fall Preparedness: Summer in the Rearview Mirror
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S.M.A.R.T. Money Moves for Kids: Financial Literacy for Kids
Developed by PWP Team featuring, Chloe Sexton, and Fiona Lynch.
Please check out Parents with Preparedness Magazine for More Free Resources for You and Your Family!
PWPORG Selected as a Finalist in 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards
Special Early Luncheon Registration Discount Ends November 1
American Security Today’s ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards program is today in its Sixth Year and continues to recognize the Outstanding Innovations of top firms and agencies in the Homeland Security and Public Safety fields.
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American Security Today is pleased to announce TSA Administrator David Pekoske, will join the organization as a featured speaker at the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Presentation Luncheon, on November 17, 2021 at ISC East in New York City.
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The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.
The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.
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