Update on The Living Article

January 10 , 2001
Response from:

Elaine Harper, Project Coordinator
Conflict Management Project
Center for the Prevention of School Violence

Protecting students from an armed intruder is virtually an impossible task but "less violent acts" such as name calling, put downs, and insults can be more easily addressed. These actions are at the bottom of the Center for the Prevention of School Violence's violence continuum. According to the Center, school violence is any behavior that violates a school's educational mission or climate of respect or jeopardizes the intent of the school to be free of aggression against persons or property, drugs, weapons, disruptions, and disorder. If more attention is placed on these "less violent acts" being performed by students, it is possible that there would not be an escalation in acts such as murder and suicide which exist at the top of the continuum.

As stated in the article, a more useful approach to generate possible solutions to promote healthy development in middle school students might be to focus on what we want students to do. This can be accomplished by creating an environment where expectations are clearly stated, consequences are appropriately defined, and good decision making is reinforced. Furthermore, modeling appropriate behavior, performing self-assessments, and learning how to appreciate differences can be demonstrated through daily activities and infused into the curriculum. It is ludicrous to think that students will obey the Ten Commandments when many of their adult role models are not practicing them consistently. Middle school students need educators that continually address their own motives, actions, and beliefs and understand the affect that these have on their students' moral development.

The Center for the Prevention of School Violence is responsible for designing a conflict resolution-conflict management curriculum to enhance pre-service teachers' and administrators' skills in the area of conflict resolution-conflict management. Specific objectives of this curriculum address the need of pre-service teachers to practice self-assessment, model effective communication skills, and use various problem solving strategies to help improve the interaction, trust, and rapport between teachers and students. Additionally, the Healthful Living as well as the Guidance components of North Carolina's recommended Conflict Resolution Standard Course of Study have objectives that address the promotion of healthy growth and development for middle school students.

Elaine Harper
Doctoral Student, NCSU
Counselor Education

Project Coordinator
Conflict Management Project
Center for the Prevention of School Violence

Center for the Prevention of School Violence
(http://www.ncsu.edu/cpsv/)