Information on preventing School Violence

Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools offers research-based practices designed to assist school communities identify these warning signs early and develop prevention, intervention and crisis response plans. The guide includes sections on characteristics of safe and responsive schools, early warning signs, school violence prevention, response, and intervention. The guide is based on the work of an independent panel of experts in the fields of education, law enforcement, and mental health. In addition, much of the research found in this guide was funded by the federal offices involved in supporting and reviewing this document.

National Association of School Psychologists.  Site provides information on  threat assessment, which uses a set of strategies or pathways to determine the credibility and seriousness of a threat and the likelihood that it will be carried out.  Effective threat assessment must be conducted by a team of trained professionals as part of a comprehensive school safety program which considers the full range of relevant factors and provides appropriate interventions for the potential offender(s). 

Guide for Preventing and Responding to School Violence  The purpose of this document is to present different strategies and approaches for members of school communities to consider when creating safer learning environments. No two schools are exactly alike, so it is impossible to establish one plan that will work well in all schools. Violence prevention programs work best when they incorporate multiple strategies and address the full range of possible acts of violence within schools. In order for any set of policies to work, it must be established and implemented with the full participation and support of school board members, administrators, parents, students, community members, emergency response personnel, and law enforcement. Without such shared responsibility, the chance of safe school policies being successfully implemented and accepted is undermined.

Comprehensive Information about Bullying

NIH/Medline Plus: Comprehensive Information on Bullying  Peer victimization, also known as bullying, refers to repeated, unprovoked, harmful physical or psychological actions by one or more individuals against another. Bullying includes hitting, kicking, pushing, intimidating, name calling, teasing, taunting, and making threats. Bullying may also include exclusion and rejection of an individual from a group. Most of the school shooters identified in the literature were victims of some form of bullying. This link provides access to a comprehensive resource on Bullying prevention.

Center for the Prevention of School Violence

Gangs and School Violence. The first defense in protecting our kids against gang influence, is a good offense. Just as we warn our kids against the dangers of smoking, alcohol and drugs before we discover evidence of such activity, we must take similar precautions and talk to our children about the dangers of gang involvement. That is, making our children aware that gang association of any kind is harmful and will not be tolerated.

Parenting with Dignity, featured on ABC's 20/20, teaches parents how to instill a sense of responsible decision making in their kids. Discover five simple rules for parents, and learn how "The ideas in our kids' heads rule their world."