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 in schools. 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 chances of safe school policies being successfully implemented and accepted are low. All involved in working to prevent or respond to school violence should be aware that no strategies in this or any other publication provide any guarantees against violence. Recognition of the rarity of school shootings and the complexity and unpredictability of human behavior should temper community initiatives as well as expectations. Most of the interventions presented in this document, however, have the potential to yield benefits beyond just reducing hazards associated with school shootings. Additional benefits include the following: Lowering rates of delinquency, disruptive behaviors, harassment, bullying, suicide, and all other forms of violence and antisocial behavior; Increasing the likelihood troubled youth will be identified and receive treatment; Improving the learning environment by reducing intimidating, disruptive, and disrespectful behavior; Preparing communities for responding to not only shootings at schools, but also all other human-made and natural disasters