School violence
School violence is a serious societal problem involving physical, psychological, and sexual harm.
School violence includes violence between school students as well as attacks by students on school staff and attacks by school staff on students. It encompasses physical violence, including student-on-student fighting and corporal punishment; psychological violence such as verbal abuse; and sexual violence, including rape and sexual harassment. It includes many forms of bullying (including cyberbullying) and carrying weapons to school. The one or more perpetrators typically have more physical, social, and/or psychological power than the victim. It is a widely accepted serious societal problem in recent decades in many countries, especially where weapons such as guns or knives are involved.
- Forms
- Physical, psychological, sexual, and cyber-bullying; physical fights; corporal punishment
- Perpetrators
- Peers, teachers, and other school staff
- Risk factors
- Internalizing and externalizing behaviors, home environment, parental corporal punishment
- Measurement tools
- Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSSHS), Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC), Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), Violence Against Children Survey (VACS)
- Legal context
- Corporal punishment banned in most U.S. states; 17 states still allow it as of April 2023
Lore & Background
School violence occurs in all countries and affects a significant number of children and adolescents. It is mostly perpetrated by peers but, in some cases, is perpetrated by teachers and other school staff. Bullying is a key form, defined as aggressive behavior with unwelcome and negative actions, recurring over time, and involving an imbalance of power. Types include physical bullying (assault, kicking, theft), psychological bullying (verbal abuse, social exclusion), sexual bullying (sexual jokes or gestures), and cyber-bullying (mean messages, unauthorized image sharing). Physical fights are distinguished as occurring between students of about the same strength, while sexual violence includes forced intercourse, unwanted touching, and verbal sexual harassment.
Reader's Guide
School violence is a widely accepted serious societal problem in recent decades in many countries, especially where weapons such as guns or knives are involved. The source article details risk factors including internalizing behaviors (withdrawal, anxiety, depression) and externalizing behaviors (delinquency, aggression, hyperactivity). Home environment factors such as exposure to gun violence, parental alcoholism, domestic violence, physical abuse, and child sexual abuse contribute to acceptance of violent behavior. Parental corporal punishment is associated with increased aggression in children, with the largest effect size observed in middle school. The social interactional model highlights coercive behaviors between mother and child. Understanding these factors is crucial for prevention and intervention in schools worldwide.
Did You Know?
- School violence includes attacks by students on school staff and attacks by school staff on students.
- Corporal punishment in schools is still allowed in 17 U.S. states as of April 2023.
- Cyber-bullying includes unauthorized capture and online dissemination of unflattering images of a student.
- Internalizing behaviors such as withdrawal and anxiety are often overlooked by school personnel because students rarely act out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is School violence in the Crime & Justice series?
School violence refers to any harmful act occurring within a school setting, whether between students, from students toward staff, or from staff toward students. It is treated as a broadly recognized and serious societal problem in the canon.
What forms of harm does School violence cover?
The entry spans physical aggression (fights, corporal punishment), psychological harm (verbal abuse), sexual violence (rape, harassment), and cyber-bullying. Carrying weapons onto school grounds is also included under this umbrella.
Who are the typical perpetrators in School violence?
Perpetrators can be fellow students, teachers, or other school staff. A defining feature is that the aggressor usually holds greater physical, social, or psychological power over the victim.
What risk factors are linked to School violence?
The canon points to internalizing and externalizing behavioral patterns, the home environment, and parental use of corporal punishment as contributing risk factors. These elements help explain why certain students become either perpetrators or targets.
How is School violence measured and tracked in the canon?
Four major survey instruments are cited: the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSSHS), Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC), Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), and Violence Against Children Survey (VACS). Additionally, corporal punishment is noted as legally banned in relevant jurisdictions.
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