TABLE

OF CONTENTS

I Introduction – Why This Project?II. The Context for Considering School Violence III. Causes of Youth Violence
  • Introduction
  • Characteristics of the Individual Child
  • Characteristics of the Family
  • Characteristics of the Community
  • Effect of School Responses to Violence
  • American Culture and Policies 20
IV. Identifying Solutions

A Safe Learning Environment for Every Vermont Student

Community-Wide Approaches to
School Violence

- a report sponsored by the Vermont School Boards Association, the Vermont Superintendents Association, the Vermont Principals Association, the Vermont-National Education Association, the Vermont Parent Teacher Association, and the Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights -

Mia Karvonides September, 1998

"Miners used to bring canaries down into the mines as a warning alarm for inadequate oxygen supply. If there was a serious problem, the canaries would stop singing and die, and the miners would get themselves out of danger. Canaries are beautiful, fragile animals that represent the best of what nature has to offer. That they were chosen for such an important but hazardous task is, at the very least, interesting. The miners had decided that human beings are more important than canaries. Thus, the protection of human workers justified the sacrifice of canaries. It seems, however, that unconsciously or unintentionally we have chosen a new warning sign for danger. We have chosen another animal, both beautiful and fragile; the young people of our community."

Howard Spivak and Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Stop Demonizing Our Youth, Boston Globe, July 27, 1997, Editorial Page

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Joel Cook, Vermont-NEA, and Laurie Kadoch, Vermont Law School for their editorial work on this report. I would like to thank Edie Miller, Vermont School Boards Association, and Jeff Francis, Vermont Superintendents Association, for their overall guidance with this project. I'd also like to thank Peter Thoms, Vermont Department of Education, Paula Duncan, Vermont Agency of Human Services, and Matt Leighninger, Study Circles Resource Center, for their research and editorial assistance. Special thanks to Zada Roy, Vermont School Boards Association, and Mark Sullivan, Vermont Law School, for technical support, and Peter Collins, Vermont Law School, for resource materials assistance. Thank you to Vermont Law School for supporting and encouraging me in this endeavor.

Mia Karvonides