School Violence

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that school violence is addressed in various areas of research, often associated with impoverished urban American areas. The writer maintains that models pursued by researchers in different countries offer no conclusive explanation for school violence and they generally fail to comment on crack cocaine's various contributions to youth violence since the mid-1980s. This paper refers to studies of school violence that often omit a prism of crack cocaine-related issues that all educators now need to understand. The writer claims that insight is needed into what is different about the crack cocaine 'epidemic' and affiliated youth gang activity to promote several kinds of school violence, to which zero tolerance policies can be the only helpful recourse. This paper also includes reflection and presentation points.

Outline:
Introduction
American Studies, Forever
A Western Epidemic
Crack Cocaine in the Canadian Context
Zero Tolerance and the School as Refuge
The Emotionology of School Violence
Concluding Remarks - the Challenge for Teachers

From the Paper:

"If one listens casually to North American adults discussing school violence, one gains a sense of how it is denounced in terms of bullying, under-disciplined or over-indulged children, or for that matter, under-privileged youths who are induced by the mass media to produce weapons in school settings. For example, Toronto's youth shootings of the last years have been discussed in terms of poverty, anti-Black racism or Black disadvantage, low opportunities, gangs and accessible handguns but without explaining in full to the public the drug around which youth gangs revolve and as crack cocaine has devastated several affected neighbourhoods in Toronto. When this factor is understood, a great many North Americans still fail to see how crack cocaine affects the individual, its links to serious mental disturbance and, as a prime symptom, frequent and uncontrollable violence in ordinary settings."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Adlaf, E., A. Paglia and E.J. Iris. (1999). Drug Use among Ontario Students - Findings from the OSDUS, 1977-1999. Toronto: CAMH.
• Agar, M. (2003). The Story of Crack - towards a theory of illicit drug trends. Addiction Research and Theory. 11: 3-29.
• Alexander, R. and C.M. Curtis. (1997). A Critical Review of Strategies to Reduce School Violence." Social Work in Education. 17: 2-16.
• Allen, C. (2005). The Links between Heroin, Crack Cocaine and Crime - where does street crime fit in? British Journal of Criminology. 45: 355-372.
• Bauer, R.W. (2003). Metamphetamine in Illinois - an Examination of an Emerging Drug. Illinois Criminal Justice Authority Research Bulletin. 1: 1-12.

More papers on School Violence:

• Analytical Essay # 130091 : "School Violence"
• Term Paper # 124689 : "Middle School Violence"
• Term Paper # 122761 : "School Violence in Canada"
• Article Review # 121107 : "School Climates that Prevent School Violence"

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