Romoting Afety IN Chools

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U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Assistance
PROMOTING SAFETY
IN SCHOOLS
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
AND ACTION
Monograph
CRIME PREVENTION SERIES #3

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810 Seventh Street NW.
Washington, DC 20531
John Ashcroft
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This document was prepared by Community Research Associates, Inc., under grant number
95–DD–BX–K001, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S.
Department of Justice. The opinions,findings,and conclusions or recommendations expressed
in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position
or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also
includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime.
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PROMOTING SAFETY
IN SCHOOLS
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
AND ACTION
August 2001
NCJ 186937
Prepared by Margaret Shaw

International Centre for the Prevention of Crime
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Acknowledgments
This monograph was prepared for the Bureau of Justice Assistance by

Margaret Shaw, with the assistance of Kathie Oginsky, and the help and
knowledge of Bernard Arsenault, Frantz Denat, Lily-Ann Gauthier, Daniel
Sansfaçon, Claude Vezina, and Irvin Waller at the International Centre for
the Prevention of Crime. We would like to thank all those in the United
States who gave advice on the development of the project and acted as an
advisory group, including Janet Chiancone and Kellie Dressler Tetrick at the
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Jane Grady at the
Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Paul Kingery at the
Hamilton Fish Institute, Wesley Mitchell at the Los Angeles School Police
Department, Colleen Minson at the National Crime Prevention Council, Bill
Modzeleski at the U.S. Department of Education, Ronald Stephens at the
National School Safety Center, Bill Bond at the National Association of
Secondary School Principals, and Principal Steven Edwards of East Hartford
High School in Connecticut.
We would also like to thank the many people outside the United States
who provided information and assistance for the project, in particular
Francine Charlebois and the National Crime Prevention Centre in Canada;
Wendy Taylor and Michael Kennedy in British Columbia; Fritz Prior in the
Netherlands; Marie-France David in France; Lesley and John Noaks, John
Pitts, and Samantha Leahy in the United Kingdom; and Dorothy Mdhuli
and Margaret Roper in South Africa. Finally, we gratefully acknowledge the
support and advice of Patrick Coleman, former Deputy Director at the
Bureau of Justice Assistance, during the development of the monograph.
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE iii

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Contents
I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
America Is Not Alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Audience for This Monograph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
How Can This Happen? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
What Should Happen? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
II. The Problem and the Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Scope of the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Safety Issues for Girls and Boys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Social Exclusion, Minorities, Hate Crimes, and Harassment . . . 10
Safety Concerns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Overall View of School Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
III. International Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
European Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Initiatives Beyond Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Trends in Approaches to School Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
IV. Critical Elements of a Comprehensive Approach

to School Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
From School Violence to School Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Interventions With Unintended Consequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Earlier Intervention. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
What Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Developing Comprehensive Approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Other Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
V. What To Look Out For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE v

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PROMOTING SAFETY IN SCHOOLS: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ACTION
VI. Examples From Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Clustering Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Changing the Whole School and Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Conflict Resolution Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Provincewide Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
National Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
VII. Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
VIII. Bibliography/References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
IX. Resources and Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
X. For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
vi
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I. Introduction
Myers High School in Taber,

Alberta, Canada, in 1999; the
DESPITE THE PREVALENCE OF GUN CARRY- killing of a teacher and 16 pupils
ING IN SCHOOLS, SCHOOL SHOOTINGS STILL by an intruder at Dunblane primary
REMAIN RELATIVELY RARE EVENTS. SINCE school in Scotland in 1996; and
1992, APPROXIMATELY 190 SHOOTINGS the killing of Headmaster Philip
Lawrence in London, England, in
HAVE OCCURRED IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS
1995 have underlined a number of
(BOTH STUDENT AND FACULTY/STAFF). things. They have shown that vio-
WHILE CLEARLY A SERIOUS ISSUE, IT MUST lent events can happen both in and
BE NOTED THAT THESE 190 SCHOOL- outside the school community; in
elementary, middle, and high
RELATED DEATHS REPRESENT ONLY ABOUT
schools; in urban, suburban, and
1 PERCENT OF ALL YOUTHS KILLED BY GUNS rural communities; among young
AT THE PRESENT. children and teenagers; and to both
pupils and staff.
—The Youth Violence Problem,
Fact Sheet, Center for the Study and These events have had a pro-
Prevention of Violence, 1999b found impact, resulting in policies
and programs that aim to protect
students and prevent the occur-
rence of such tragedies. New legis-
America Is Not Alone lation, initiatives, organizations, and
America is not alone in its concern centers have emerged with the spe-
with school violence and school cific purpose of ensuring safety in
safety. Countries as far apart as schools.
Australia, Belgium, France, South
The tragic events have also dis-
Africa, and the United Kingdom
torted reality. Schools remain safe
have, in recent years, experienced
places. Young people are generally
tragic events in schools that have
at greater risk outside their schools
alarmed communities and govern-
than inside. In the United States,
ments alike. Schools and school
less than 1 percent of all youth
safety have become the focus of
killed by guns since 1992 have
much attention and action.
been in school or at school-related
The tragic deaths of pupils at functions.1 But school safety is also
Columbine High School in Littleton, about less traumatic events, such
Colorado, in April 1999, at Buell as bullying, aggression, intimida-
Elementary School in Flint, Michi- tion, and exclusion. These can also
gan, in February 2000; at W.R. have serious short- and long-term
BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 1

consequences for children by positions who are concerned about

affecting their willingness to stay in school safety issues. It discusses
school, their academic achieve- the range of approaches that are
ment, their future job skills, and being developed and adapted in dif-
their social relationships. School ferent countries.
safety is about having plans in
place to prevent crises and to deal The most successful approaches
with those that arise. It is about are those that see the school within
having day-to-day practices that their community. They focus not
reduce violence and intimidation, just on aggressive or violent inci-
providing safe places for victims, dents but also on health, use a
and responding swiftly to perpetra- range of policies and programs,
tors. School safety involves more and consider not only the roles and
than simply building fences, needs of individual pupils but also
installing television cameras or those of teachers, support staff,
metal detectors, and expelling vio- administrators, school operations,
lent students. Prevention involves a families, and the community around
widening range of approaches and the school. They use a community-
offers many tangible rewards. based approach to promoting
school safety.
Audience for This
Monograph How Can This Happen?
“How can this happen?” seems
This monograph brings together
to be the universal response when
information on school safety trends,
someone is killed or injured in a
policies, and projects from various
school. In Dunblane, Scotland, and
countries around the world. It has
Taber, Alberta, it led to task force
been written for school principals,
reports and subsequent activity
superintendents, administrators,
asking both why it happened and
boards of governors, school-parent
what could be done to ensure future
bodies, and others in leadership
school safety (Alberta, 2000).
Two Hurt in Teenage Shootout

New Orleans: Two teenage boys shot and wounded each other with the same
gun during a fight at their middle school yesterday after a 13-year-old expelled
student slipped the weapon to one of them through a fence . . . . Witnesses said
the eighth graders had argued before the shootings at the school where students
must pass through a metal detector to enter . . . . The boy accused of providing
the handgun was arrested . . . at his home in a nearby housing project, part of
an economically mixed neighborhood . . . . The school recently expelled the boy
for fighting . . . .
—Associated Press, September 27, 2000
2
Introduction
Until recently, school safety activ- in helping children avoid delinquen-

ities in many countries consisted cy and that factors such as poor
largely of school-police liaison work academic achievement can lead to
and some protection of school serious problems (Gottfredson,
property from vandalism or intru- 2001). There is clear evidence that
sion. The initial response after a the climate and ethos of a school
serious event has been to increase can be changed. In the past,
security by hiring guards, installing schools have been seen as institu-
fences and television cameras, and tions separate from other local ser-
searching lockers. There has also vices and often blamed for their
been an increase in the immediate problems. Yet schools are strongly
suspension of students using vio- influenced by their surrounding
lence or in possession of guns or communities and the lives and
drugs. health of the families whose chil-
dren they teach. One of the most
Media responses to these events compelling reasons for thinking
have helped increase awareness of about the prevention of violence
problems, but also have raised lev- and school safety is that, in many
els of fear and led to overreaction. countries, children and young peo-
There is a general concern that ple experience higher levels of vic-
violence by young people has timization than other groups in the
increased, which has been substan- population. Globally, the 1990s wit-
tiated by police reports in many nessed a transformation in respons-
countries from the late 1980s. es to school violence and safety.
Demographic changes and migra- Much more attention is now given
tion in European countries and the to school safety by the public and
exclusion of whole populations from by schools, spurring growth in inter-
the benefits of a good education, vention and research. Security pro-
jobs, and social services have all visions or police-school liaison
contributed to concerns with vio- projects are now only part of the
lence in and around schools. response. Awareness of the links
Reports of school violence have between safety and violence and
risen, and much of this increase other school problems, such as bul-
seems to be attributable to changed lying, suicide, truancy and dropout
attitudes about the use of violence. rates, and academic failure, has
increased. The focus is now less
What Should Happen? on reacting to school violence and
Schools work with children and more on promoting school safety
young people during their formative through prevention, careful predic-
years. A long history of research tion, planning, and preparation
illustrates the importance of schools (U.S. Departments of Education
and Justice, 1999a).

Many countries are using com- neighborhood communities. More

prehensive, whole-school projects accurate information is being
that involve a wider range of profes- collected about school violence and
sionals from the health, education, safety, which stimulates new and
and criminal justice systems, as creative solutions.
well as from schools and their
4
II. The Problem and the Trends
Scope of the Problem fighting, gang activity, weapons at

school, school shootings, violence
It is difficult to compare levels of
against authority figures or school
school-related violence among
staff, violence against peers, racial
countries because
or bias-motivated violence or intim-
• Many countries do not collect idation, and vandalism. The vio-
national information about lence can occur on school property
reported school violence. or on the way to or from school. In
other countries, there is little agree-
• Countries use different definitions ment on what constitutes school
of school violence. violence. In other countries, much
of what is referred to as violence is
• Differences in language and cul- in fact bullying, most of it nonphys-
ture can make it difficult to com- ical, and can include nonviolent
pare even similar behaviors events such as graffiti or theft.
among countries.2 What many countries have in com-
mon is the rise in reported school
• Within most countries, reporting
incidents over the past decade,
practices can vary a great deal.
often linked to increases in police-
• Sources range from small, self- recorded violence by young people
report school studies to area sur- and, in some countries, to concerns
veys of victimization to police or about increases in gang activity,
school reports of incidents. weapons, and drug use among
young people (Pfeiffer, 1998;
• Sources vary across different Estrada, forthcoming).
ages of pupils, types of school,
and periods of time. Reporting practices. A reporting
problem has arisen. Because of
• Schools often are reluctant to concerns about violence, schools
admit there are problems. now report far more incidents to the
police. Consequently, increases in
• Peer pressures intimidate stu- school violence may not indicate
dents from reporting incidents. actual changes in students’ behav-
iors. A Swedish study suggests this
Nature of the Violence (Estrada, forthcoming).
Defining school violence. In the
United States, discussions about Up to the mid-1980s, only seri-
school violence and aggression ous violent incidents in Swedish
include combinations of bullying, schools were reported to the police.
The schools dealt with all others

internally. From the mid-1980s on, other age group. Most of it comes
it has become school practice to from their peers, in and out of
report all incidents to the police. So school, and there are strong peer
while there has been a 300-percent pressures not to report it. Some
increase in reports of school vio- children are both victims of abuse,
lence in Sweden since 1993, these whether at home or school, and
are all minor assaults that would not victimizers.
have been reported before. Serious
violence has not increased. • A survey of 12- to 18-year-olds
in Alberta, Canada, found greater
In some countries, teachers have victimization in school than out
reported increased violence in of it, among younger children
schools against students and staff, than older ones, and among
and the verbal abuse of staff. In the males than females (Gomes et
early 1990s, Canadian teachers al., 2000). In addition, students
reported increases in the occur- who had been suspended or who
rences of weapons (usually knives), had thought of dropping out of
ethnic conflicts, and extortion school reported higher levels of
among elementary school children.3 victimization and were the least
Outside the United States, the likely to report incidents, espe-
recognition of bullying as a major cially if they belonged to racial
school problem has led to many and ethnic minority groups.
more reports of incidents (Smith et
al., 1999). • In the United States, children
ages 12 to 18 are more likely to
be victimized away from school
than at school. Nevertheless,
AS RECENTLY AS 5 OR 6 YEARS AGO, children ages 12 to 14 are more
BULLYING WAS A NONISSUE IN SCOTTISH likely to be victims of crime at
SCHOOLS. NOW IT IS WELL AND TRULY ON school than older students.
National data show that 6 per-
THE AGENDA.
cent of 12- to 14-year-olds were
victims of violence compared
—Action Against Bullying in
with 3 percent of 15- to 18-year-
Scottish Schools,
Mellor, 1995 olds (U.S. Departments of
Education and Justice, 2000b).4
• In South Africa, a national survey

Young victims and victimizers. It found that 40 percent of rapes
is now recognized that children and and 43 percent of indecent
young people experience higher assaults were against girls under
levels of victimization than any age 17 and often at school.
6
The Problem and the Trends
Incidents in French Schools by Type
Verbal Physical Theft

Colleges
(ages 10–15) 47% 20% 11%
Secondary Schools
(ages 15–19) 39 14 15
Technical High Schools
(ages 15–20) 27 10 23
—Ministry of National Education, Research, and Technology, Paris, France
Current Picture of School • In Japan, school violence against

Violence pupils, staff, or property was
The international information we reported in 2 percent of elemen-
do have about school violence tary schools, 30 percent of mid-
comes from studies in individual dle schools, and 37 percent of
schools, national or school-based high schools (U.S. Departments
victimization surveys, health and of Education and Justice,
education studies, and police 1999a).
reports.
• In South Africa, 62 percent of
• In France, a national survey violence among young people
(1998–99) of violence in middle involved racial incidents, and
and secondary schools identified school-based sexual assault of
88,500 incidents among the 3.5 girls has increased. A 1999 study
million students. The most com- found that more than 30 percent
mon was verbal abuse, followed of rape cases among 15- to
by theft, attempted robbery, and 19-year-old girls involved a
physical violence. Only 2 to 3 schoolteacher.
percent of the incidents were
• In Canada, 20 percent of violent
serious enough to report to the
crimes committed by 12- to 17-
police, and 93 percent of the
year-old urban youth, reported to
incidents were caused by stu-
the police in 1998, occurred on
dents.5 Other students were tar-
school property and seldom
geted in 67 percent of these
resulted in serious injuries. Only
cases, the staff in 17 percent,
20 percent of the incidents
and school property in 15 per-
involved a weapon (Canadian
cent. The survey rated 2.6 per-
Centre for Justice Statistics,
cent of the incidents as serious.

1999). In the Province of

Quebec, 9 percent of youth in Who Are the Bullies?
schools are victims of extortion— Gender: More boys report bullying
although 15 percent are in than girls.
Montreal (Tondreau, 2000).
Age: In Canada, 11- to 12-year-olds
report bullying others more than
• In the United States, the levels younger and older students.
of school crime and violence
have been decreasing since the Temperament: Bullies tend to be
hyperactive, disruptive, impulsive,
early 1990s. The majority of all and overactive.
incidents (61 percent) involved
theft. In 1997, this meant that Aggression: Bullies are generally
aggressive toward their peers,
only 8 out of 1,000 students were teachers, parents, siblings . . .
victims of violent crimes at or on and tend to be assertive and easily
their way to or from school. provoked.
Four teachers in every 1,000 Physical strength: Boys who bully
were victims of serious violence are physically stronger and have a
in 1994–98 (U.S. Departments of need to dominate others; girls who
bully tend to be physically weaker
Education and Justice, 1999a).
than others in their class.
Nevertheless, much of the drop
in violence relates to serious vio- Lack of empathy: Bullies have little
empathy for their victims and show
lence and current levels are still little remorse about bullying.
above those in the early 1980s.
One study suggests that there is
—Adapted from Bullying and
more weapon-carrying in schools
Victimization: The Problems and
than school administrators are Solutions for School-Aged Children,
aware of (Hamilton Fish Institute, National Crime Prevention Centre, 2000
2000).6
International surveys allow us to In almost all those countries, while

make some comparisons between the majority of students did not
levels of insecurity and bullying and report being bullied in the current
other behaviors in schools across term, fewer students reported they
countries. The 1999 Annual Report always felt safe at school. Levels of
on School Safety, for example, sug- insecurity at school are clearly a
gests that 12th grade students in the concern. These comparisons must
United States were more likely to be be set against the fact that the
threatened by another student in United States has much greater
the past month than those in 7 other problems with gun-related crimes
countries. On the other hand, re- among young people than other
ports of being bullied and feelings of countries (Hamilton Fish, 2000).7
insecurity among 15-year-olds in 22
countries suggested that American
students were around the average.
8
Bullying Departments of Education and

Justice, 1999a), and a study of
Bullying is one type of aggression,
junior high and high school students
common in schools, that is deeply
found 77 percent had been bullied
embedded in peer culture and often
in their school careers (Arnette and
underreported. A widely used defini-
Wasleben, 1998). In Australia, a
tion describes it as an aggressive
self-report study in the mid-1990s
act with an imbalance of power and
estimated 1 in 6 or 7 children were
some element of repetition that can
bullied on a weekly basis (Rigby
be physical, verbal, or indirect, such
and Slee, 1999). In Germany, stud-
as social exclusion.
ies found that 4 to 12 percent of
Reported levels of bullying in students experienced frequent and
schools vary across countries, persistent bullying, depending on
although there are many similar pat- their age, area, and type of school
terns.8 Older children tend to bully (Lösel and Bliesener, 1999).
younger ones, and boys are bullied
Not everyone recognizes bullying
more than girls.9 Studies in Norway
as an important aspect of the school
found 9 percent of children had
safety problem. A 1999 American
been bullied over the past year; in
survey by the National Crime Pre-
Britain it ranged from 4 to 10 per-
vention Council found that almost
cent (Sharp and Smith, 1994). In
50 percent of parents did not see
Spain, a study in Seville found
bullying as serious.11 In many coun-
15 percent of secondary school
tries, including the United States,
children were bullies and victims
studies show that children who are
(Ortega and Mora-Merchan, 1999).
bullies or are victimized repeatedly
In Japan, studies show that bullying
are more likely to develop other
is most common in elementary and
problems as they grow older, includ-
middle school and that students in
ing dropping out of school and tru-
their first year of middle school
ancy, delinquency and crime,
report the highest level of bullying
unemployment, and depression.
(Morita et al., 1999).
Bullying occurs in all types of
Most bullying involves verbal or
schools and can have short- and
indirect, rather than physical, inci-
long-term effects on students—
dents (23 percent).10 Canadian sur-
from increasing fear and insecurity
veys of children up to 8th grade
to medical conditions such as post-
found 6 percent of children admit
traumatic stress disorder. Students
bullying others, and 15 percent
can be so afraid after an intimida-
admit being victimized (National
tion, whether or not it is physical,
Crime Prevention Centre, 2000).
that they avoid going to school.
In the United States, 26 percent of
Bullying has links, therefore, with
15-year-olds said they had been
other forms of school violence, seri-
bullied in the current term (U.S.
ous events that occur, and health

and well-being. It helps to explain Social Exclusion,

some of the most serious acts of
violence, including suicides. In some
Minorities, Hate Crimes,
countries, suicides have been the and Harassment
catalyst for work on bullying and Concentration of poverty and
school safety.12 social problems in some European
countries has focused discussions
Safety Issues for Girls and on social exclusion. In France,
Boys social exclusion refers to those who
are excluded from the benefits of
School safety issues affect girls
participating in mainstream society
and boys differently. Girls are less
because of long-term unemploy-
likely to use aggressive behavior
ment and poverty. They are usually
than boys and tend to use exclu-
concentrated in areas of public
sionary or verbal tactics. They are
housing, and schools in these sub-
more subject to sexual harassment.
urbs and inner cities have had prob-
In South Africa, the incidence of
lems with violence. A recent survey
sexual assault among girls is in-
shows a growing sense of insecurity
creasing, and 40 percent of rape
among pupils and teachers in such
cases nationally involve girls under
schools in France since 1995.13 This
age 17. Projects specifically tailored
is attributed to increases in group
to girls’ needs are being developed
violence and extortion and violence
in Australia, Canada, South Africa,
in elementary schools. The inci-
Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
dence of group extortion, swarming,
and mobbing has increased in a
number of countries, and drug use
A FOCUS ON PERPETRATORS [OF VIOLENCE] has become much more prevalent
IS IN DANGER OF IGNORING THE FACT THAT among young people.14
HIGH LEVELS OF VIOLENCE, AND THE THREAT The pace of migration and immi-
OF VIOLENCE, IN A SCHOOL WILL HAVE A gration is affecting many countries.
MARKED EFFECT UPON ALL SCHOOL STU- Germany, where reunification and
immigration rapidly changed demo-
DENTS, SOMETIMES . . . UNDERMINING
graphic patterns and standards of
THEIR ABILITY TO CONCENTRATE IN CLASS, living in the 1990s, and South
DISRUPTING THEIR ATTENDANCE, AND CAUS- Africa, which has experienced
ING SOME OF THEM TO FEIGN SICKNESS IN decades of conflict, have both faced
problems of racial violence and
ORDER TO AVOID THE HAZARDS OF SCHOOL.
harassment among young people.
Schools and their communities
—Reducing the Violent Victimization
of Young People in a London Neighbourhood,
have had to cope with an influx of
Pitts, 1999 foreign-born students and with fami-
lies struggling to adapt to a new
10
• Safety from theft.

A SURVEY OF 663 TEENAGERS IN A • Safety from bullying and
BRITISH CITY SCHOOL FOUND BOYS’ LEVELS intimidation.
OF FEAR DECREASED BETWEEN THE AGES
• Safety from sexual and racial
OF 11 AND 16 (30 PERCENT OF harassment and assault.
16-YEAR-OLDS EXPRESSED FEAR WHEN
• Safety from violence and
OUTSIDE) WHILE AMONG GIRLS IT
aggression.
INCREASED (TO 68 PERCENT AT 16).
• Safety from group mobbing or
—“Fear of Crime,” Goodey, 1995 extortion and drug and gang
activities.
culture and language. Some school

Overall View of School
populations have changed so fast Violence
that racism and gang activity have Attitudes about youth violence
been exacerbated, educational stan- have changed and now provide
dards have fallen, and the turnover greater recognition of the extent of
in pupils and staff has accelerated. young people’s victimization by
their peers and its variation among
In many European countries, girls and boys and different minority
there has been a shift from seeing groups. School-based incidents are
schools as safe places with a few reported more often. In some coun-
delinquents to seeing them as tries, school violence is concentrat-
potentially dangerous places. ed in areas plagued by poverty and
social problems, which are exacer-
Safety Concerns bated by population changes and
There are different definitions and immigration, and by drug use
understandings of school safety and among young people. Schools have
violence prevention. The overlap- been invaded by street crime and
ping concerns for both students and violence, which have focused atten-
staff include tion on the areas and schools most
at risk. Observations about the cur-
• Safety from accidents and rent situation include the following:
injuries.
• Most countries report problems
• Safety from self-harm. of aggression, minor assaults,
and bullying in all types of
• Safety from intrusion. schools.
• Safety from fear of victimization. • Some countries perceive that
school violence has increased in
• Safety from vandalism.

recent years; others attribute that • Most aggressive and violent

perception to changing attitudes behaviors are inflicted by stu-
toward violence and greater dents against their peers, much
awareness of its extent. less often against teachers, and
rarely by teachers against
• Frequent and persistent problem students.
behaviors are restricted to a
minority of pupils, or are wide- • Levels of insecurity in schools in
spread in schools in areas with many countries are quite high.
serious social and economic
problems.
• A few countries have serious

problems of youth violence and
racism that have had an impact
on schools.
12
III. International Developments
European Initiatives Netherlands

The European Commission, the The national government has
administrative body of the 15 coun- launched a series of initiatives to
tries that make up the European promote school safety. A safety-at-
Union, launched a Violence in school campaign ran from 1994 to
Schools Initiative in 1997 in response 1999 to encourage schools to devel-
to growing concerns about school op social competence, deal with
safety. The 2-year project funded incidents, and provide safe premis-
information and data collection es. Another school safety and secu-
about current policies and projects, rity campaign was launched in 1998
and intercountry project develop- by the Ministry for Education,
ment and networking as they relate Culture, and Science that provides
to school safety. It recommended a schools with support to tackle crime
multidimensional approach involv- problems in partnership with local
ing schools, pupils, and their fami- youth services, the police, and
lies to promote prosocial behaviors. youth justice. A new national cam-
paign will be launched in 2001 by
The initiative was followed by a the Ministries of Interior, Education,
Safer Schools conference held in Care and Welfare, and Justice as
Utrecht, Holland, in 1997, and a part of a wider focus on behavior in
1998 European Conference on public domains. Its focuses will be
Initiatives To Combat School youth participation in adopting
Bullying held in London. In the past school codes of behavior, and creat-
10 years, inspired by successful ing initiatives and interactive work-
Norwegian projects (Olweus, 1993), shops on substance abuse and
bullying prevention has become a weapons.
major area of intervention. The
European Network on the Nature In The Hague, a 3-year curricu-
and Prevention of Bullying is devel- lum for teachers on the prevention
oping a 4-year comparative project of delinquency and bullying has
with research teams in Germany, been developed. Each school will
Italy, Portugal, Spain, and the be required to send two staff mem-
United Kingdom.15 A number of bers to the course. They will be
school violence projects have been responsible for analysis, develop-
developed in Germany to respond ment, and evaluation of an action
to crime, racism, and violence in plan in their school and for training
urban and rural schools.16 other school staff.17

Additional innovations include publishing guidelines on developing

police-school partnerships and
• An antibullying project in 22 ele- using the law to protect pupils
mentary schools funded by the and staff.
Mental Health Agency (Junger-
Tas, 1999).
• Adoption by many schools of IN ENGLAND, A WHOLE-SCHOOL, ANTIBUL-

a National Education Protocol LYING APPROACH IN 23 SCHOOLS IN
Against Bullying, developed
SHEFFIELD INCLUDED SETTING OUT PRECISE
by Dutch education and parent
organizations. PROCEDURES FOR PREVENTING AND
RESPONDING TO BULLYING, IMPROVED PLAY-
• The SPRINT project Duiven-
GROUND SUPERVISION, AND IMPLEMENTING
drecht that combines teaching
and treatment with research to COURSES FOR IMPROVING PROBLEM-SOLVING
develop competency in elemen- SKILLS AND ASSERTIVENESS. THE PRO-
tary school children (Bendit et GRAMME WAS SUCCESSFUL IN REDUCING
al., 2000).
BULLYING IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS, BUT
United Kingdom HAD RELATIVELY SMALL EFFECTS IN SEC-
Work on disruptive and violent ONDARY SCHOOLS . . . . ANOTHER INITIA-

school behavior has a long history TIVE IN TWO HIGH CRIME PUBLIC HOUSING
in England and Wales, much of it ESTATES . . . TARGETED TWO PRIMARY AND
concerned with its links to school
TWO SECONDARY SCHOOLS . . . . TWO
drop-out and delinquency rates
rather than school safety (Graham, YEARS LATER, LEVELS OF BULLYING HAD
1988). In the 1990s, a number of DECREASED IN THREE OF THE SCHOOLS.
whole-school antibullying projects
have been evaluated (Sharp and —“What Works in Preventing Criminality,”
Smith, 1994; Pitts and Smith, Graham, 1998
1995).18 Guidelines and teaching
packages to aid practitioners, par-
ents, and children have been pub-
Joint initiatives from government
lished in various languages (Sharp
departments encourage or direct
and Smith, 1994; Home Office,
local authorities to work in commu-
1996; Johnson et al., 1992; Mellor,
nity partnerships such as the
1995).
Children and Youth Partnership
Following the school deaths in Programme and Schools Plus:
Dunblane, Scotland, in 1996, Building Learning Opportunities.
greater attention is being paid to They target at-risk schools and chil-
the physical security of schools in dren in disadvantaged areas in
the United Kingdom.19 This includes response to recent reports on youth
14
International Developments
School Children—an early inter-

HAEC Teacher vention project in London that
Curriculum: Prevention targets 5- to 11-year-old children
(Roberts and Singh, 1999).
of Delinquency and
Bullying • Meeting Needs and Challenging
• Analysis of school problems, Crime in Partnership With
strengths, and weaknesses. Schools—provides home-school
support and crisis management
• School contribution to the devel-
to reduce truancy (Vulliamy and
opment of desired values.
Webb, 1999).
• School teaching climate and
characteristics. • Moss Side Youth College,
Manchester—provides out-of-
• School role in truancy, dropouts,
bullying. school education for the exclud-
ed, a community bus, 8-til-late
• Classroom teacher skills. homework clubs, and Internet
• Teaching special skills—self- literacy (SEU, 1998).
esteem, behavioral choices.
• Morpeth School, Tower
• Integration of program with other
Hamlets—provides afterschool
community youth agencies.
math and literacy supplemental
• Developing an action plan and teaching for 11- to 16-year-old
evaluation. children, in collaboration with
businesses.
—Adapted from The Nature of School
Bullying: A Cross-National Perspective, • Computer Gym—provides a
Junger-Tas, 1999 mobile classroom for low-
income public housing estates.
crime, truancy, and school exclu- • Schools Plus—develops supple-

sion (Social Exclusion Unit (SEU), mentary school activities, such
1998). Local and police authorities as breakfast clubs, homework
are now required to develop crime centers, Saturday school, men-
prevention strategies with commu- tors, and family literacy projects
nity partners such as school and (SEU, 1998).
youth offender teams. A number of
• Crime Reduction in Secondary
community-based partnership pro-
Schools (CRISS)—a national
jects involving schools have been
pilot project that addresses bully-
set up in the past 5 years and
ing, truancy, and crime in 103
include the following:
secondary schools as part of a
• Using Mentors To Change government target to reduce
Problem Behavior in Primary school exclusions by one-third
by 2002.

Scandinavia France
The pioneering work on the pre-
vention of bullying in schools was
developed in Norway (Olweus,
TO FIGHT VIOLENCE AND INSECURITY
1993).20 Now referred to as the
IS ALSO TO FIGHT INEQUALITIES AND A
whole-school approach, it combines
specific rules about bullying, cur- SENSE OF INJUSTICE ....
riculum projects, reporting of inci-
dents, and better playground —Claude Bartolone, Minister for Cities,
supervision. Bullying and other France, March 1999
forms of antisocial behavior
declined by 60 percent, and stu-
dents felt more secure. France has always taken a pre-
ventive approach to school vio-
Many schools in Sweden have
lence. Phase I of a joint national
adopted whole-school antibullying
plan to combat violence in schools
programs and prevention projects,
was announced in 1997.21 Its focus
some supported by the national
is educative, preventive, and reac-
education agency. Annersta School
tive, and it emphasizes the collec-
in Huddinge developed a program
tive role of the school and the need
to improve social relations in school
to find solutions that benefit all
and with the community to curb
pupils, parents, and staff.22 Among
violence, mobbing, racism, and
the initiatives are
gang organization. After 2 years,
parental and local business links • Establishing observatories to
had increased, and vandalism and collect local statistics on a range
violence among pupils had de- of social, economic, and health
creased (ECPA, 1999). Rinkeby indicators to identify schools in
School in suburban Stockholm used problem areas.23
a comprehensive range of initiatives
that resulted in major reduction in • Increasing the use of mediation
school violence and other problems. in schools.
The Children’s Ombudsman has
recommended strengthening the • Developing clear and appropriate
school law against bullying, placing responses to violent incidents.
an obligation on school staff to pre-
• Setting up intervention projects
vent it, making the reporting of inci-
in the 26 regions (départements)
dents the duty of all members of the
most at risk of school violence
school community, and improving
and delinquency.
teacher training.
• Developing a number of projects
Finland has a new education bill
in partnership with schools on
requiring all schools to intervene
citizenship and antiviolence
and take action to prevent bullying.
16
education through victims assis- Initiatives Beyond Europe

tance organizations.
South Africa
• Creating a system of Open In South Africa, violence among
Schools (Écoles Ouvert) that young people, especially in schools,
enables students and adults has become a major prevention pri-
to use school premises for ority. Young people under age 25
both study and recreation make up 53 percent of the popula-
during evenings, weekends, tion. High levels of violence, racism,
and holidays. crime, poverty, and lack of jobs and
job skills have focused attention on
the need to develop a preventive
Solutions to School strategy through schools to counter
Violence—1999 French violence in schools.
Public Survey
• 32 percent: fight school failure.
WITH 39 PERCENT OF SOUTH AFRICANS
• 32 percent: help parents fulfill
their education role. AGED BETWEEN 14 AND 35, YOUNG PEO-
PLE COMPRISE A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF
• 27 percent: teach the young
citizenship. SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY. HOWEVER, DUE
• 9 percent: reform juvenile justice TO THE POLICIES OF PAST GOVERNMENTS,
system. A LARGE NUMBER OF YOUNG MEN AND
WOMEN HAVE NOT HAD THE CHANCE TO
—Ministry of National Education, Research,
and Technology, Paris, France DEVELOP THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. THEY
HAVE EXPERIENCED POOR HOUSING CONDI-
TIONS, LIMITED AND RACIALLY-BIASED
Phase II of the national plan ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND TRAINING,
was announced in 2000. It includes
LIMITED JOB OPPORTUNITIES, HIGH LEVELS
the recruitment of 7,000 education
assistants and social workers who OF CRIME AND VIOLENCE, AND A GENERAL
will receive training in mediation DISINTEGRATION OF SOCIAL NETWORKS
and conflict resolution. The educa- AND COMMUNITIES.
tion assistants will help maintain
peace on school premises and —Youth Policy 2000,
buses, and will provide individual National Youth Commission, 2000
educational support and teaching.
The school social workers and
nurses will provide greater support
to individual children and their A joint national framework for
families. intervention was initiated in 1999.24
Youth Violence in Schools focuses

• The comprehensive Safe School

Tools that allow children to remain Policy in 40 schools, which was
buoyant in the nonviolent stream
developed by the Centre for
include
the Study of Violence and
• School competency. Reconciliation (CSVR).26
• Feelings of support and care.
• The guides, training, resources,
• Self-esteem and identity. and programs on school violence
• Philosophical grounding.
prevention being produced by
national and provincial govern-
• Problem-solving skills. ments and nongovernment
• Confidence with adversity. organizations.
• Involvement. Australia
A report on school violence in
—Youth Violence in Schools,
Australia was published in 1994.
South Africa, 1999
Much current work is preventive,
stressing early intervention and
school-community partnerships
on tackling the underlying causes of
with a focus on including young
youth violence by targeting those
people in the design of projects.27
schools with the greatest problems,
National Crime Prevention (NCP) is
developing community policing
funding a number of school-based
around schools, and developing
developmental projects that target
community action around schools.
at-risk children and families. Other
These objectives are aided by a
initiatives include healthy school
data engine—improved national and
approaches such as the Health
local information—to monitor and
Promoting Schools Association,
evaluate problems and progress.
which is sponsoring the Interagency
Projects based on the model and Schools as Community Centres
other work include the following: Pilot Project. This project involves
the identification of local needs
• The Crime Reduction in Schools through community consultation,
Program (CRISP) in Durban.25 with funding from local school,
education, health, and community
• The School Watch program in services.
Kwa Zulu-Natal, which has had a
marked impact on the prevention A growing network of programs,
of offending and victimization. strategies, and resources exists to
prevent bullying or teach conflict
• The Safer Schools programs resolution and peer mediation
being developed by the federal skills,28 including helplines and
Department of Education and intervention programs such as the
provincial governments. PEACE (preparation, education,
18
action, coping, evaluation) Pack were needed; specific programs for

(NCP, 1999), Dr. Ken Rigby’s aggressive or violent students were
Bullying Pages (Rigby, 1995), called for that were supportive and
and Oz Problem Solver: Teaching corrective rather than punitive,
Students Peer Mediation (Stern, inflexible, or demoralizing.31
1996).
The National Crime Prevention
New Zealand Centre32 has funded research
and guides on school bullying,
A New Zealand report on school
an inventory of resources on safe
violence looked at the links between
and healthy schools (Shannon and
bullying and other forms of violence
McCall, 1999), and a Web-based
and intimidation in children’s lives
compendium of evaluated practices
and at accidents and health prob-
emphasizing the links between
lems (Lind and Maxwell, 1996).
school safety and health.33 Its
Although there is no national initia-
Investment Fund is financing pilot
tive on school violence prevention,
programs targeting at-risk schools.
a well-developed antibullying net-
School safety policies and protocols
work exists, including a police-
are being developed by a national
business partnership campaign that
working group, and the Council of
has sponsored a resource kit pro-
Ministers of Education is developing
gram, Kia Kaha, for 8- to 14-year-
a school indicators program to pro-
old children, the Cool Schools
vide comprehensive data across the
Peer Mediation Programme, and an
country and promote comprehen-
anger management program called
sive afterschool programming.
Eliminating Violence, all of which
Other initiatives are
have been evaluated (Sullivan,
1999). • A whole-school bullying program
piloted in four Toronto schools
Canada (Smith et al., 1999).
The public’s and teachers’ con-
cerns about school violence result- • Conflict resolution programs in
ed in a number of studies and Toronto elementary and sec-
guides in the early 1990s and an ondary schools (Brown et al.,
increase in police-school initia- 1996; Network, 2000).34
tives.29 A national survey of school
• A teacher’s violence prevention
policies identified a need for school
kit for Quebec secondary schools
boards to focus much more on pre-
and an inventory of tools and
vention and community policies
resources (Tondreau, 2000).35
(Solicitor General, 1995). Schools
were still seeing themselves as sep- • British Columbia’s Safe Schools
arate from their communities.30 Staff Initiative piloted safe school pro-
training, better data collection, and grams in 22 schools in 5 differ-
evaluation of programs and policies ent languages. The project is

being evaluated over 5 years and School Safety Center (NSSC), a

includes the British Columbia resource and training center that
Safe Schools Centre. provides training for the Community
Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
• A nongovernment Safe Schools in Schools program.38
Network includes the Nova
Scotia League of Safe Schools, Past initiatives have focused on
the Safe and Caring Schools reducing school violence with pro-
Network set up by the Alberta grams that target the facilitators
Teachers Association, and the of violence: drugs, gangs, and
Canadian Safe Schools Network, guns.39 Among these programs
which develops projects primari- are the School-Related Crime
ly in Ontario. Prevention and Safety Initiative
that funds police partnerships with
United States schools and communities, School
The Federal Government funds and Community Action Grants that
an array of work on school safety fund the application of tested pro-
projects that monitor trends, programs to curb violence, and COPS
vide research and evaluation, and in Schools that funds community
support technical assistance.36 police-school partnerships.
Since 1998, it has published the
More recent initiatives stress com-
statistical report Indicators of School
prehensive school-committee ap-
Crime and Safety and the Annual
proaches. The Safe and Drug-Free
Report on School Safety, which pro-
Schools Initiative provides resources
vide a comprehensive survey of
to every state and most school dis-
trends, initiatives, and good prac-
tricts. It funds school-community
tices. An inventory of federal initia-
projects and supports training and
tives on school violence has been
technical assistance, including satel-
published by the Centers for
lite telecasts.40 The Safe Schools/
Disease Control and Prevention.37
Healthy Students Initiative funded
Recent major initiatives include Safe
54 demonstration programs in 1999
and Drug-Free Schools and Safe
and another 22 since then.41 In each
Schools/Healthy Students. Federal
case, local education authorities are
dollars fund the Hamilton Fish
working in partnership with public
Institute on School and Community
mental health providers, justice and
Violence, a technical assistance
law enforcement authorities, and
center, which is developing and
families and students. Compre-
testing the effectiveness of school-
hensive plans based on best prac-
based strategies; the National
tices are being developed to
Resource Center for Safe Schools,
promote students’ health and pre-
which works with schools and states
vent violence. Technical assistance
to develop comprehensive safe
has been provided and a national
school plans; and the National
evaluation is being undertaken.
20
State initiatives include statewide • Linking school safety with the

program development in Colorado, needs of victims and victimizers
New York, and North Carolina. The and to healthy behaviors.
Center for the Prevention of School
Violence is based at the University • Changing emphasis from a reac-
of North Carolina and the Center tive or punitive focus on perpe-
for the Study and Prevention of Vio- trators of school violence to
lence is based in Colorado. In 1998, proactive approaches.
the U.S. Conference of Mayors pub-
• Shifting from physical, situational
lished Preventing School Violence:
prevention, or school expulsion
Best Practices of Mayors in Collab-
to comprehensive approaches
oration With the Police, Schools and
that use a range of policies and
the Community and the National
programs.
Crime Prevention Guide to Safer
Schools. • Using programs geared both to
problem students and to the
Trends in Approaches to entire school population, teach-
School Safety ers, and families.
The examination of approaches
• Developing school-community
to school safety employed by con-
partnerships.
cerned countries has revealed a
number of emerging trends. These • Targeting at-risk schools using
include the following: evaluated model programs.
• Framing the issues more on • Involving young people in the

school safety and less on school assessment of problems and
violence. project design.

IV. Critical Elements of a

Comprehensive Approach
to School Safety
From School Violence to Interventions With

School Safety Unintended Consequences
Although the extent and types of An Australian report (NCP,
problems experienced by schools 1999) classifies three major types
vary in different countries, some of intervention with young people:
common strategies and methods for coercive, developmental, and
tackling them have emerged. The accommodating. Many past
approaches emphasize four major approaches to school violence
issues: have focused on the first type.
• Perceiving the school within its In some countries, the long-term

community setting by opening problems of excluding students
school premises to local resi- from school because of violence or
dents and pupils after school drug use are being recognized. The
hours, inviting community mem- problems with expulsions and sus-
bers to participate in school pensions are that they raise the
activities, and creating links with likelihood that those students will
local businesses and other pro- become even more involved in
fessional groups. delinquency, drugs, and violence,
which can affect the school by
• Focusing on the school atmos- increasing street crime in the sur-
phere, not just physical security rounding neighborhood. The short-
or individual students. term gains for the school do not
add up to the long-term costs for
• Using a partnership problem-
the excluded students and their
solving model.
communities.
• Employing multiple strategies,
Zero-tolerance policies are anoth-
not single programs.
er approach, but there is consider-
Some of the major programs and able confusion about what they
intervention strategies currently are. They are often taken to mean
being used around the world are tough, uniform punishments for any
discussed below. incident, such as automatic and
immediate expulsion. Many school

law in 1994, the number of pupils

Approaches to Youth expelled doubled in some states, but
Crime Prevention has now declined overall (Annual
Report on School Safety, 2000;
Coercive approaches: Hamilton Fish Institute, 2000).
• Emphasize crime control, deter- Countries such as France explicitly
rence, reducing opportunities, avoid using terms such as zero tol-
and exclusion. erance because they imply a lack of
• Young people are seen as prob- flexibility. They prefer to talk about
lem or threat. immediate or alternative responses
rather than a single one. This means
Developmental approaches:
a clear, rapid, appropriate response
• Emphasize social problems, proportionate to the seriousness of
youth participation, inclusion of the incident, and includes aid to
all young people, and opportuni-
ty enhancement.
victims.
• Young people seen as part of the

community and the solution.
WHETHER ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICIES AND
Accommodating approaches: THE CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN EXPUL-
• Emphasize dealing with immedi- SIONS HAVE MADE STUDENTS SAFER IN
ate conflicts using negotiation,
mediation, and multiagency SCHOOL, AND AT WHAT COST TO THOSE
cooperation. EXPELLED AND TO SOCIETY IN GENERAL,
• Young people seen as legitimate REQUIRE A CLOSER LOOK . . . . THE HEAVY
stakeholders and users of public
USE OF SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION CAN BE
spaces.
SEEN AS AN EXPENSIVE PRACTICE FOR THE
—Hanging Out: Negotiating Young COMMUNITY EVEN WHEN IT IS COST EFFEC-

People’s Use of Public Space TIVE FOR THE SCHOOL . . . . IF STUDENTS
NCP, Australia, 1999
WHO ARE SUSPENDED OR EXPELLED DO NOT
REENTER SCHOOL RIGHT AWAY, THEY ARE
boards in Canada, for example, say LIKELY TO FALL FARTHER BEHIND ACADEMI-
they have zero-tolerance policies, CALLY AND ARE AT INCREASED RISK OF
but in practice they mean that any
FALLING INTO CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN THE
incident has consequences of some
kind, ranging from curfews and COMMUNITY.
extra work to suspensions and
exclusion. —Zero Tolerance: The Alternative Is Education,
Kingery, 2001
In the United States, federal law
requires schools to expel pupils car-
rying firearms. Since passage of the In America, intervention projects
offering alternatives to school
24
Critical Elements of a Comprehensive Approach to School Safety
suspension and expulsion are being • Long-term interventions are bet-

developed by the Department of ter than short-term ones.
Education, which is spending $10
million to identify model programs, • Preadolescent interventions are
and the Hamilton Fish Institute. the most effective.
Many school projects in England
Early intervention programs in
and Wales are specifically con-
elementary schools have the resid-
cerned with preventing expulsion
ual effect of helping to improve
or working with the excluded to get
school safety in secondary schools.
them back in school or in the job
This has led many countries to tar-
stream. One English project refers
get at-risk schools and to use
students to a special school support
evaluated programs with proven
worker after serious verbal or physi-
success records. It has also been
cal incidents instead of using
shown to be much less costly to
exclusion.
intervene early.43
Earlier Intervention What Works

Developmental studies have
The most successful prevention
shown that the earlier we can inter-
plans combine programs, address
vene in children’s lives the better
the entire school population, design
the chances are of reducing the
special projects to target at-risk
risks of behavioral problems, delin-
groups and individuals, and solicit
quency, bullying, and school truan-
teacher support. (See chapter VI for
cy and dropping out (National
the range of prevention approaches
Institute of Justice (NIJ), 2000;
being used and their targets.) The
Gottfredson, 2001).42 Such studies
1999 Annual Report on School
have documented impressive
Safety provides good examples of
reductions in problem behaviors,
model prevention programs in the
improved scholastic achievement,
United States that use well-designed
better parent management skills,
projects, have proven effectiveness,
and higher employment levels for
are adapted to local school and
both young people and their par-
community needs, and are used as
ents. Effective intervention strate-
part of a comprehensive plan.
gies show that risk factors can be
turned into positive points for inter- These plans include codes of con-
vention and prevention and that duct and protocols to define school
norms and deal with daily events
• The earlier the intervention, the
and situations, safety plans to deal
more effective it is.
with serious events, support for
• Programs that target multiple pupils with particular problems, and
problems are more effective than a curriculum and other projects
those that deal with only one risk for teachers to improve conflict
factor.

resolution and mediation skills. 1997). Group conferencing that

Some countries, such as Canada brings together family members,
and the United Kingdom, have friends of victims, and perpetrators
developed police-school protocols is used in Canada to resolve serious
(Bala et al., 1994). school incidents (see Network,
2000; Correctional Service Canada
(CSC), 1999).
A COMMON FEATURE OF RECENT PREVEN- Education. A wide range of skills

TION CONCEPTS IS THAT PROGRAMS SHOULD development programs addressing
NOT BE TOO NARROW, BUT SHOULD social skills, assertiveness, anger
management, conflict resolution,
ADDRESS SCHOOL LIFE IN GENERAL.
and general education programs
on civics, antiviolence, antidrugs,
—“Germany,”
racism, and sexism is being used. In
Lösel and Bliesener, 1999
some countries, courses and work-
shops can be taught by specialists
from outside organizations such as
Mediation. A lot of school the National Victim Support and
violence is about relationships. Mediation Institute (INAVEM) in
Developing negotiating skills, peer France and CSVR in South Africa.
group mediation, conflict resolution,
and restorative approaches are all Targeted individual pupil support.
tactics being used internationally. This concept includes individual
Some countries have good, evaluat- counseling and group work, men-
ed training programs. In France, toring, and programs for expelled
school assistants in classrooms and and suspended students. The sup-
on playgrounds and school buses port can be inside the school, such
provide additional mediation and as student assistance centers and
monitoring support. school social or health workers, or
in the local community. The pro-
The range of mediators has grams work with victims, aggres-
grown to include peers, adults in sors, and those at risk.
and outside the school, and the two
parties themselves. In the United Teacher training and support.
States, good practice guidelines This can include special training
suggest that peer mediators should workshops and basic teacher train-
not be restricted to “natural” ing. Specialized school social work-
problem-solvers but should include ers or medical staff in England,
students from different ethnic groups Wales, and France help relieve
and those who are shy, have anger stress on teachers and students
management problems, or have affected by class disruption.
learning disabilities (Edwards,
26
Whole-school antibullying pro- Schools is another example. Many

grams. These are good examples of projects in England and Wales use a
comprehensive plans. They consist similar multiagency, multimethod
of a general school policy written strategy. The 1998 Annual Report
with the active collaboration of on School Safety sets out seven
pupils, teachers, and parents that steps for developing and imple-
includes implementation and evalu- menting such plans.
ation plans. With the very young,
no-blame approaches are often School safety partnerships
used to encourage children to talk include the school community,
about incidents. parents, social and youth services,
police, courts, volunteer organiza-
Helplines. Helplines, such as tions, faith communities, local busi-
KIDSCAPE and CHILDLINE in the nesses, and residents. Checklists
United Kingdom, are being used of warning signs and risk factors
in many countries, especially to for school problems and violence,
report bullying. Antiviolence hot- such as the National School Safety
lines encourage children to report Center’s Mosaic of 20 Questions or
incidents and to name places and the U.S. Departments of Education
individuals without fear of reprisal. and Justice’s Early Warning, Timely
Teaching aids, such as the

Australian antibullying PEACE
Pack, provide guidance to schools
Seven Steps For
on how to raise awareness of bully- Developing and
ing, develop school policies to deal Implementing a
with it, counsel children in class to Comprehensive
gain support, work with parents, School Safety Plan
and evaluate interventions. Schools
1. Partnership.
that use the pack have experienced
a 25-percent reduction in bullying 2. Identify and measure.
(Rigby and Slee, 1999). 3. Set goals.
4. Research programs and
Developing Comprehensive strategies.
Approaches 5. Implement.
Detailed outlines for developing
comprehensive school-community 6. Evaluate.
plans are provided in the United 7. Revise plans.
States by the Education and Justice
Departments, the Hamilton Fish —Annual Report on School Safety, 1998,
Institute, and the Center for the U.S. Departments of Education
Study and Prevention of Violence. and Justice, 1998
South Africa’s Youth Violence in

Response: A Guide to Safe Schools, • Provincial or statewide initiatives

have been developed for use by to provide support, training, and
school staff. They need to be used technical help, along the lines
carefully as a guide and as part of a of the British Columbia Safe
broader comprehensive plan. Goals Schools Initiative.
and targets are being used increas-
ingly, such as in the prevention pro- • Cross-national training and
jects in England and Wales. support, such as the European
antibullying project that provides
training seminars over a 3-year
Other Support period to project researchers and
A major feature of prevention practitioners and offers short-
programs is helping schools and term placements in different
communities to develop sound safe- countries.
ty plans. Experience has shown that
a program that reduces violence in Other approaches include spe-
one country or city may not work cialized institutes and resource cen-
in another. Good programs need ters and safe school networks that
good implementation. Schools have have been established in a number
little time to spare and developing of countries to act as resource and
good plans requires leadership, support systems. A number of
energy, and experience. Increas- guides that use comprehensive
ingly, technical training and support approaches are now available.
are available. American examples include Creat-
ing Safe and Drug-Free Schools: An
One approach is clustering, or Action Guide (U.S. Departments of
bringing together groups of schools, Education and Justice, 1996); and
to train or develop and evaluate Early Warning, Timely Response: A
projects. It is an efficient and effec- Guide to Safe Schools (Dwyer et al.,
tive way to promote project devel- 1998).
opment. Variations of the model
include Media attention to school safety
issues is another concern, given
• Clustering of schools in project the dangers of increasing fear when
development, assisted by a the media reports tragic events.
research, university, or technical Schools should have protocols that
center, as is done in the Gauteng detail who should speak to the
Townships of South Africa. press after serious incidents (Bala
et al., 1994). Good project results
• Clustering of teachers from all
also need to be shared with the
schools in an area who train
local community. Many countries
together in a series of workshops
post project information on the
and seminars, such as The
Internet. In the United States, a
Hague curriculum.
range of videos, online workshops,
28
and listservs provides training in • Developing a careful assessment

comprehensive plan development of local school and community
and media protocol development. problems to determine policies
Other resources include the and priorities based on partner-
National School Safety Guide: ship consensus.
America’s Safe School Week;
Educated Public Relations—School • Developing local action plans to
Safety 101 (Greenbaum et al., address the causes of school vio-
1986); and Preventing School lence and victimization, not just
Violence (NIJ, 2000). its symptoms, and promote
healthy schools.
Summary • Implementing and evaluating
The critical elements of a com- long- and short-term prevention
prehensive approach to school safe- projects.
ty include44
• Remembering that this is a long-
• Identifying and mobilizing key term process and the necessity
partners in the school communi- of educating the public that pre-
ty, including parents, local vention is a normal part of local
agencies, community organiza- school and community life.
tions, residents, and the private
sector.
Figure 1
Elements of Approach to School Safety
Safety Diagnosis Action Plan

• Challenges From Crime • Priorities/Resources
• Risk Factors • Actions v. Risk Factors
Responsibility Center
• Leadership
• Mobilizing Sectors
• Gender and Diversity
• Engaging Citizens
Evaluation Implementation
• Process • Coordination
• Results • Benchmarks/Timeline

V. What To Look Out For
In spite of good guidelines and • New problems can arise that

models, experience in many coun- require plans to be flexible and
tries shows that developing and sometimes revised. A recent
implementing good safety plans to problem in the United Kingdom
prevent or reduce school violence stemming from the phenomenal
and fear is not always a straightfor- growth in mobile phone use
ward process. Some of the pitfalls among children has resulted in
include the following: an increase in robbery of mobile
phones by young people, much
• Raising awareness about school of it around schools.
safety and the risks of violence
can increase fears and insecurity • The challenge of developing
among students, staff, and partnerships and engaging the
families. local community can be com-
pounded when a school is not
• Better reporting and data collec- located in the community from
tion may result in apparent in- which it derives most of its
creases in incidents, so there students.
must be careful monitoring and
evaluation of other indicators. • Schools that are receptive to
developing projects often are not
• The media can inflame anxieties, those with the most problems
leading to exaggerated and rigid (Lösel and Bliesener, 1999).
responses.
• Forming packs and adopting
• International comparisons can be guides is not sufficient for
useful but it must be remem- developing effective, sustainable
bered that there are differences programs; a clear policy com-
in languages, cultures, local cus- mitment is needed at the local
toms, and even explanations.45 school level.46
• Projects must be appropriate to • Schools need financial support

the culture of their school com- from national, regional, and local
munities, as have been shown governments for policy develop-
by the experiences with the ment; although the competition
Aboriginals and Maori in for funding can stimulate good
Australia and New Zealand plans, it can demoralize schools
(Sullivan, 1999). that lose out.

Student insecurity and fear of vio- Good leadership from the princi-
lence have become central concerns pal affects the ethos, climate, and
in many countries so reducing fear organization of a school. It affects
and lessening the likelihood of vio- pupils, teachers, and school support
lence or injury are major goals. But staff. Internationally, the school in
it also is recognized that risk cannot its community is seen as having a
be eradicated entirely. The best crucial role in promoting a safe,
approach is good planning and pre- healthy environment and preventing
vention developed and shared by delinquency, violence, and victim-
communities. This approach is more ization. It cannot do so in isolation.
beneficial and less costly than react-
ing after tragic events.
32
VI. Examples From Practice
This chapter describes examples with few graduating with job skills.
of current school safety projects A need to belong, lack of home
that use multiple methods and part- support, boredom, and lack of
nerships. The projects are in vary- prospects made violence, crime,
ing stages of development and all and youth gangs attractive. Victim
include evaluation, although final support was needed, given the high
project outcomes are not always incidence of violence.
available. Sources and contact
information are given for followup. The projects. The Centre for the
The examples include individual, Study of Violence and Reconcili-
comprehensive school-community ation (CSVR) has developed a Safe
programs in elementary and sec- Schools Project using a community-
ondary schools, clustering projects, based model of intervention. Forty
provincial and statewide initiatives, elementary and secondary schools
and projects built around conflict are clustered in a supportive net-
resolution approaches. They use work, allowing them to share
various research teams and partner- resources. A project newsletter
ships to assist the schools. Infor- has been established, students are
mation about school safety projects involved in strategy and project
in the United States can be found development, and parents are
in the Annual Reports on School involved in problem solving. The
Safety and other publications of the project acts as an umbrella for
U.S. Departments of Education and activities by providing safety teams
Justice and from the Hamilton Fish to research, document, monitor,
Institute and the Center for the and evaluate project activities;
Study and Prevention of Violence. teacher training and support pro-
grams; student training and support
programs; student-run community
Clustering Schools safety projects; parent education;
Safe Schools Policy and Tiisa and training for student governing
Thuto (Gauteng Townships, bodies. A government monitoring
South Africa) program maintains links among
The problem. A 1997 conference programs, services, and govern-
found that adult crimes such as ment departments at the local and
rape, theft, and assault were preva- national levels.
lent even in primary schools and
CSVR is also part of Tiisa Thuto,
that the average age of youth in the
a modular training course for pupils,
11th and 12th grade was 18 to 20
teachers, parents, and communities

in the same schools. Run by a busi- reputation in the community and

ness consortium, it combines the many of its immigrant and minority
expertise of police, educators, and students were unable to get job-
organizations that specialize in training placement. Sixteen percent
sports, mediation and conflict reso- of the pupils were of foreign nation-
lution, peer counseling, trauma and ality, mostly North African. The
abuse, and victim issues.47 Each majority of pupils faced a combina-
partner provides its specific skills tion of educational, social, and
training, resources, and modules. economic disadvantages, with 80
CSVR trains parents, teachers, and percent receiving financial aid.
school governors in trauma man-
agement, provides peer counseling, The project. To reduce school
and helps develop school safety violence and mobilize community
teams. partners, school rules, rights, and
responsibilities were delineated for
Outcomes. Improved parent- pupils, adults in the school, and par-
teacher-child relations, better ents. Mediation training was intro-
teacher support, and a swifter duced, specific projects targeted
response to children’s needs. incoming pupils to help them settle
Overall, reported abuse has in the school, and teacher teams
declined. developed projects to improve class
cohesion. An end-of-year festival,
Sources: CSVR, www.wits.ac.za/ twinning with a large engineering
csvr (Internet). Dorothy Mdhuli school, partnerships with communi-
(Project Director), Safe Schools, ty organizations to promote youth
dmdhluli@csvr.org.za (e-mail). Tiisa enterprise, and individual casework
Thuto, Business Against Crime— were initiated. The school worked
Gauteng, Tenji Mayekiso (Project with justice, police, and local
Director). authorities to develop better links
with local citizens. Key components
Changing the Whole included respect for the individual
School and Community competencies of all partners, listen-
ing to pupils and valuing their views,
Lycée Professionel “Les giving students greater autonomy
Canuts” (Vaulx-en-Velin, and responsibility, stressing the
France) importance of maintaining energy
The problem. This vocational and dynamism, and adapting to
secondary school with 428 students new needs and problems.
in a Lyon suburb had deteriorated
over a 15-year period. By 1994, Outcomes. By 1999, reform
levels of violence in the school had efforts had paid off with reports
soared. It had acquired a negative of violence in the school down 60
34
Examples From Practice
percent, verbal abuse 50 percent, Durham District School Board

physical violence against adults 100 (Ontario, Canada)
percent, and the cost of repairs 70
The problem. This school district
percent. There was a reduction in
includes large industrial and manu-
intrusions into the school, a rise in
facturing urban centers and rural
student work placements to a total
areas and has experienced rapid
of 7,540 days, fewer school expul-
growth. Crime in the area has
sions, a stabilization and increase
increased; 62 percent of the popu-
in the school population, and an
lation is under age 39. In at-risk
improvement in the school’s
schools, there are considerable
reputation.
problems of instability with high
Sources: Mme. Marie-France turnover rates, behavioral and fami-
David, Academie de Paris, Collège ly difficulties, and low educational
Maurice Utrillo, 100 Boulevard Ney, achievement.
Paris, 75018 France; 33–42–58–
The project. A demonstration pro-
82–90, 33–42–59–53–00 (fax).
ject was initiated involving students
Lycée Professionel “Les Canuts,”
ages 4 to14 at 4 at-risk schools.
2 Ho Chi Minh, Vaulx-en-Velin,
The school-based program relies on
69120 France; 33–437–45–
the commitment of community part-
2001, 33–437–45–2019 (fax),
ners and strong community-school
mfdavid@club-internet.fr (e-mail).
Figure 2
The Incidence of Bad Behavior and Suspensions for Pupils in Four Pilot Schools
70
Fighting
Bullying
60
Suspensions
50
Number of Incidents
40
30
20
10
0
September 1999 October 1999 November 1999 December 1999 January 2000
Month/Year

links. It is based on a successful Sydney Burnell School

approach developed in another (London Borough of Walford,
school in the region in the 1990s. England)
South Simcoe Public School had
The problem. This secondary
many at-risk pupils, severe prob-
school, in an economically
lems of bullying, fighting, suspen-
depressed area, had undergone
sions, a high student turnover, low
rapid decline. There were increasing
educational achievement, and a
numbers of poor immigrant families
poor reputation in the community.
in public sector housing and a high
It became one of the top education
rate of neighborhood and school
performers in the region within 5
population turnover. The neighbor-
years. The principal opened up the
hood had a history of escalating
school to the community and estab-
crime, interracial violence, intimida-
lished what she termed a “village-
tion between whites and Bengalis,
like” atmosphere and a philosophy
and more recent influxes of immi-
of respect, which affected all rela-
grants fleeing the turmoil of the
tionships within the school, includ-
Balkans. By 1997, the school popu-
ing that with teachers. Parents were
lation of 1,043 students included 85
invited to join her, local police offi-
nationalities. Forty-four percent of
cers, and others to read to the chil-
students described themselves as
dren. She instituted a progress
white and British, 17 percent as
tracking system, to report back to
black, and 17 percent as South
parents on a weekly basis, and
Asian. More than half the students
each class adopted a local busi-
qualified for free school meals. A
ness. Academic achievement im-
high proportion of students had
proved and bullying, fighting, and
learning and behavioral difficulties.
suspensions were all reduced.
Levels of truancy and feigned sick-
Outcomes. Early evaluation of ness had risen. The school was
the pilot schools shows clear reduc- required to accept some older,
tions in fighting, bullying, and sus- white adolescents expelled from
pensions over a 4-month period. other schools, often for racial
incidents. When racial incidents
Sources: Investment Fund, occurred, mobile phones were
National Crime Prevention Centre, used to call up “reinforcements.”
Department of Justice, 123 Slater
Street, Eighth Floor, Ottawa, The project. The Walford Youth
Ontario, K1A 0H8 Canada; Action Team is a multiagency group
877–302–6272, 613–952–3515 composed of senior chief executive
(fax); ncpc@web.net (e-mail), officers, youth service workers,
www.crime-prevention.org/ youth justice staff, education per-
english/main.html (Internet). sonnel, police, students, parents,
Sandra Dean (2000), Hearts and and school governors. It works with
Minds: A Public School Miracle, a university-based research team
Toronto.
36
to support development, implemen- 44–1582–734265 (fax); J.pitts@

tation, and evaluation. Together virgin.net (e-mail).
they have undertaken an assess-
ment of the issues and formed a Meeting Needs and
school-based action plan for devel- Challenging Crime in
oping school and local community Partnership With Schools
strategies, which involve safety (North Yorkshire, England)
within and beyond the school; a The problem. Difficult pupils with
multiagency, multimethod interven- persistent truant, offending, and dis-
tion approach; and changes to ruptive behavior that had adverse
school policies and organization. impact on classrooms were raising
Projects include a Headstart pro- levels of teacher stress. There was a
gram, which provides intensive need for better crisis management,
mentoring to at-risk children in pri- teacher and pupil support, alterna-
mary school and through the first tives to school exclusion, and more
2 years of secondary school, an cohesive local authority strategies.
exclusions prevention project, and
the joint creation with local youth The project. The program, begun
services of separate male and in 1996 in seven urban secondary
female student groups to explore and middle schools and steered by
victimization, violence, and gender a multiagency advisory group,
issues. based five full-time social workers
in the schools to provide targeted
Outcomes. In their interim assistance to at-risk children. The
evaluations, teachers and school assistance includes home visits,
inspectors have reported improved
student behavior in classrooms,
corridors, and on the playground. Parents feel that both they and their
There has been a decline in staff children benefit considerably from
turnover, an increase in pupils home-school support workers’ will-
ingness to listen and to provide
selecting the school as their first practical help. Support workers are
choice for secondary education, seen as unique in their
and improved scores on national
• Access to information about chil-
education certificate exams. Head- dren’s lives at school.
start and the exclusion prevention
program also have been evaluated • Neutrality in relation to school
values.
positively.
• Unconditional help not tied to
Source: Professor John Pitts, statutory obligations.
Department of Applied Social
Studies, University of Luton, Park —Meeting Needs and Challenging
Square, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 Crime in Partnership With Schools,
3JU England; 44–1582–743085, Vulliamy and Webb, 1999

help with special needs, befriending, Studies, University of York. See

counseling and support, and indi- Vulliamy and Webb (1999).
vidual and group work on anger
management, peer relations, self- Cities in Schools (England and
esteem, advocacy, mediation, staff Wales)
education, parent support, youth The problem. The challenge was
forums, and crisis management. to provide alternatives for children
Pupils involved in school violence excluded from school, assist with
or disruption are referred to the reintegration, and prevent the
support workers rather than being development of problem behavior.
expelled, which helps calm pupils
in inflammatory situations and The project. Cities in Schools’
prevents further deterioration in Bridge, Reintegration, and Preven-
behavior. tion courses have been established
in 75 projects across England and
Outcomes. There has been a Wales. Bridge courses work with
reduction in school exclusions, 14- to 19-year-old students in
improved crisis management, and groups of 10, providing a personal
better parent-school relationships. tutor or mentor while they attend
The key mechanisms include long- local study programs. Tutors keep
term and indepth casework, short- in contact with students’ families
term support for other children, and the project aims to reintegrate
school staff understanding of pupils’ 80 percent of out-of-school stu-
home circumstances, crisis man- dents. Reintegration courses target
agement, and reducing stress on 8- to 14-year-old students who
school staff. All schools have not have been permanently excluded
been equally successful and devel- from school. Prevention courses use
oping regional policies has been dif- home-school links to work in disad-
ficult without involvement of higher vantaged areas, build partnerships
levels of authority. School prerequi- with parents, and provide teacher
sites for success included explicit training in behavior management.
project support by head teachers They assist development of whole-
and locating the social workers in school antibullying programs. Each
the school as staff members with project is run as a separate charity
full involvement in senior manage- organization with a local partnership
ment meetings, giving them an board composed of educators,
office, and clearly communicating police, social service workers, job
the support workers’ role to all trainers, and local business leaders.
school staff.
Outcomes. The Bridge courses
Sources: Home Office Programme resulted in marked improvement in
Development Unit (PDU) and school attendance, up 80 to 100
Graham Vulliamy and Rosemary percent. Most eligible students
Webb, Department of Educational
38
achieved national awards and 75 for responding to incidents, media-

percent of students had positive job tion and conflict resolution training,
or further education placements. organized sports nights, youth wel-
The courses were cost-effective, fare office support for students with
offering better value for the money behavior problems, monthly meet-
than alternatives. ings among the police, school offi-
cials, and other key leaders. Project
Source: Utting (1996). nights are held with pupil represen-
tatives and foreign students and
The Wetzlar Model Police- their parents. A school safety coun-
School Project (Giessen, Hesse, cil has been established.
Germany)
The problem. Violence, including Outcomes. Trust in the police has
racial incidents, in schools and sur- been reestablished, reducing fear in
rounding areas had become a seri- the schools. The number of report-
ous issue in Giessen, as in other ed incidents has risen from 178 in
areas of Germany. There was drug 1995 to 395 by October 2000, illus-
dealing in schoolyards, blackmail- trating an increased trust in the
ing, and a stolen goods trade, and police, and there has been a de-
students, teachers, and parents were crease in the amount of violence in
all afraid of reporting these inci- schools. The Wetzlar Model is being
dents. There was also a lack of trust developed in other regions of the
in the local police force. A task state, and video and training
force report recommended a bal- manuals have been produced.
anced community and public health
Source: Helmut Lenzer,
approach to developing safe
Polizeihaupkommissar,
schools.
Polizeipraesidium Giessen,
The project. Wetzlar Model Project Ferniestrasse 8, 35394 Giessen,
was initiated by the police 5 years Hesse, Germany.
ago in partnership with school staff,
pupils, parents, school boards, doc- Ringeby School (Stockholm,
tors, youth welfare, and other local Sweden)
groups in 5 secondary schools and The problem. In the 1970s,
6 vocational colleges. Most initia- Ringeby School in suburban
tives stress prevention, but include Stockholm had an elementary
rapid responses to violent incidents. school student enrollment of 400,
Police now respond immediately to a poor reputation, extensive graffiti,
calls from the schools and deal and damage. Bullying and racism
with cases swiftly. Other initiatives were rife and a small group of
include a hotline for reporting inci- pupils exerted a negative influence
dents, break-time activities for stu- on the school climate. Pupils felt
dents, police training on protocols unsafe and half the board of

management had resigned. In the awareness program. Students were

local community, more than 80 per- given responsibility for keeping the
cent of its 14,500 residents were of school in good repair. Computer
foreign origin, representing more access has been a major priority.
than 100 nationalities, uneducated, An action plan against bullying,
with high unemployment and wel- violence, and racism was intro-
fare dependence and little knowl- duced with clear rules, student
edge of Swedish. agreements, followup of incidents,
and better supervision and parent
The project. In 1989, a Center contact.
of the Community plan to revital-
ize the school began by coordinat- Outcomes. Pupil involvement in
ing local municipal department school activities has increased and
resources. Activities, such as the there has been a radical reduction
local music school, were moved in school damage and pupil insecu-
into the school, and a culture and rity. In 1998, 84 percent of parents
dance program started, in which and pupils said they were satisfied
two-thirds of the students partici- or very satisfied with the school,
pate. In collaboration with the social which has become the natural cen-
welfare department, a school day- ter of Ringeby. Considerable cost
care center with two specialized savings have resulted from the
teachers, recreational staff, and two coordination of resources in the
social workers was set up for chil- school, improving opportunities for
dren with serious problems. They intervention with students.
only study there for subjects where
they are troublesome in class. This Source: Nominated project for
avoids transferring the student out European Crime Prevention
of the school and reduces disrup- Awards 1998. National Crime
tion in classes. The offices of social Prevention Council, Sweden;
services fieldwork staff were trans- jan.andersson@bra.se (e-mail);
ferred to the school, reducing costs www.bra.se (Internet).
and improving contact with young
people. Homework support is pro- Conflict Resolution Plus
vided. Municipal youth clubs moved
Independent Project Trust
nearer the school and are open
(Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa)
every day from 4 p.m. to midnight.
Unemployed youth have access to The problem. Urban schools in
the school gym, and other activities the Durban area had high levels of
have been provided for them. A violence. Gang activity, carrying of
major project was to involve pupils weapons, and bullying and victim-
and parents in organizing a home- ization of students and teachers
school association, management were endemic in the schools and
board, pupil council, and cultural the local community. The difficulty
40
of ensuring the effective develop- Outcomes. By 2000, two of the

ment of a single Schools, Medi- schools had moved into a better
ation, and Reconciliation Training category of security. They were felt
(SMART) program led to the broad- to be safer places, and levels of
er Community Alliance for Safe reporting of violence had increased
Schools (CASS) team approach. as fear of reprisals diminished. The
cluster approach was particularly
The projects. Independent Project important. Schools felt they would
Trust (IPT) developed the SMART have been unable to effect change
program in the early 1990s. It trains without the facilitation support of
pupils, teachers, and school gov- IPT. Clustering also had proved
erning bodies to develop democrat- valuable for collective problem solv-
ic dispute and conflict management ing as the three schools had suc-
skills. It stresses discipline practices, cessfully lobbied for a change in
cultural diversity, and accountability school bus routes, something they
for actions. Students are trained in had failed to do independently.
peer mediation. The difficulty of
using these skills because of vio- Sources: Safer Schools mono-
lence and gang activity led to the graph, Secretariat for Safety and
creation of CASS in 1997. This Security, South Africa. Margaret
province task team involves the Roper: roperm@csir.co.za (e-mail),
major stakeholders to build a sense www.webpro.co.za/clients/ipt
of community ownership through (Internet).
partnerships, mobilize communities,
protect school children, and create East Hartford High School
safe schools through effective (East Hartford, CT, U.S.A.)
governing bodies. Using a cluster The problem. East Hartford is
approach, IPT has produced a an urban high school of 2,100 stu-
manual for head teachers and has dents, with 72 percent students of
facilitated workshops and training color and 28 percent Caucasian.
sessions in three pilot schools. They represent 70 countries of ori-
The three schools are within a 10- gin and speak 40 languages. By
kilometer radius and join for 1992, there were increases in vio-
workshops on data collection, diag- lence in the school, drug use, ethnic
nosing school safety problems, tensions, and gangs, coupled with
developing a school security plan, an overloaded school guidance
and related issues. School safety capacity and limited social services.
committees have been set up,
resulting in better security, monitor- The project. Preventing Violence
ing, counseling, police relations, and in Our Schools: A Blueprint for
communication. Conflict Resolution targets truancy,

violence, discipline, and poor aca- designing programs that have con-
demic performance (see Edwards et tinuous monitoring and adaptation,
al., 1999). A Student Assistance and strong links outside the school.
Center (SAC) was established with
strict rules and regulations. It is run Sources: Dr. Steven Edwards,
by a full-time certified staff mem- Principal, 869 Forbes Street,
ber, 30 teachers who volunteer on East Hartford, CT 06118. 860–
a rotation basis, 1 full-time and 622–5203; 860–622–5337 (fax);
up to 9 part-time interns from sedwards@easthartford.org (e-mail).
the University of Connecticut, a
substance abuse counselor, and Provincewide Programs
trained student mediators. Conflict
Safe Schools/Communities
resolution and mediation are offered
Initiative (British Columbia,
by peers, adults, and through self-
Canada)
mediation. Peer mediators are a
cross-section of students who This Safe Schools/Communities
receive a 3-day training program. Initiative is a partnership between
A student assistance team of volun- provincial government ministries
teer staff oversee students referred and schools and their communities.
to SAC by anyone. Alcohol and It includes the British Columbia Safe
drug counseling is offered 5 days a School Centre—a resource center
week, Alcoholics Anonymous holds that disseminates support and train-
meetings, and other groups for at- ing, examples of best practice, and
risk students exist. Police outreach strategies such as a Safe School
runs drug and gang resistance inter- Kit, Safe School Planning Guide,
vention programs. Other initiatives and a resource catalogue. Other
include probation links, career men- aspects of the approach include
toring for at-risk children, work- Youth Taking Action Workshops,
shops on college preparation with peer mediation training manuals
a consortium of local high schools, and resources for elementary and
and a cultural enrichment program. secondary schools, and a mobile
SAC funds come from federal, trainer who visits schools. Every
state, and local grants. school board has Safe School
District Contacts. They offer training
Outcomes. In 5 years there have and facilitate communication and
been no expulsions, a 60-percent dissemination of material and best
drop in suspensions, a 40-percent practices. Safe School Regional
reduction in fighting, and a school Training sessions bring together
dropout rate below 4 percent. The schools, youth workers, and other
project attributes part of its success professionals. Focus on Bullying
to flexibility in identifying problems, is a prevention program for
42
elementary and secondary schools 604–775–2674 (fax). BC Safe

supported by a cadre of trainers School Centre: 604–660–7233;
across the province. www.safeschools.gov.bc.ca
(Internet).
The project. Begun in 1995 with
5 schools, All Together Now is a
pilot project in 22 elementary
National Programs
schools across British Columbia. National Fight Against
The project is an early intervention Violence in School (France)
and crime prevention initiative that The problem. The universal con-
identifies school and community cern with school violence in France
needs. It implements a range of was supported by a 1998 survey of
projects to develop resiliency, four schools in high-risk areas that
problem-solving skills, and aware- found growing insecurity among
ness among children, and offers students and staff. Between 1995
training for adults working with at- and 1998, the proportion of teach-
risk youth. Specific projects include ers who thought there was a lot of
bullying programs, mediation, con- violence in their schools rose from
flict resolution, youth-lead videos, 7 percent to 49 percent and among
and multicultural and antiracism students from 24 percent to 41 per-
training. The project focuses on cent. It was felt that violence in the
evaluation and sustainability. A final classroom and group violence had
report on 15 schools is expected in reached crisis proportions and that
2001. more students were using violence,
even in elementary schools.
Outcomes. Early indications sug-
gest a reduction of in-school vio- The project. Phase I of the 1998
lence, vandalism, graffiti, and prevention plan targeted several
greater multicultural awareness and areas in France with the greatest
tolerance, more positive attach- problems of violence: Amiens,
ments to school, improved mentor- Aix-Marseille, Créteil, Lille, and
ing and conflict resolution skills, Versailles. Phase I covered 411 sec-
and greater youth involvement in ondary schools and colleges and
school and community projects. 1,742 nursery and elementary
schools. In 2 years, appointments
Sources: Wendy Taylor, Director,
were made for 400 nurses and
Community and Youth Programs,
medical social workers, 100 school
Community Programs Division,
doctors, 100 education and training
Ministry of the Attorney General,
advisers, and 5,000 educational
British Columbia, Canada, 5021
assistants. Each area used a rigor-
Kingsway, Suite 401, Barnaby, BC,
ous process of project development
V5H 4A5 Canada; 604–660–2605,

that encompassed diagnosis of the Source: Report on qualitative and

problems, planning and implement- quantitative evaluation, Plan de
ing initiatives, evaluation, and lutte contre la violence à l’ecole,
refinement. A national partnership Ministry of National Education,
among education, state and local Research, and Technology, Paris,
police, and the courts and local France; www.education.gouv.fr/
security contracts have changed the discours/2000/violenceb.htm
response to youth violence, provid- (Internet).
ing schools with guidance on han-
dling incidents and enabling judges Crime Reduction in Secondary
to act more quickly. Contracts were Schools (England and Wales)
signed in 14 departments with The problem. The Crime
INAVEM to provide services in Reduction in Secondary Schools
schools. National SOS and hotlines (CRISS) initiative recognizes the
were set up to report bullying, strong links between poor scholastic
sexual assault, and extortion. achievement, bullying, truancy,
school exclusions, and offending
Outcomes. After 1 year there was
and the importance of targeting
an overall stabilization of school
high-risk areas and schools with
violence and a 10-percent decline
result-based programs and strate-
in colleges. The violence has
gies. The initiative is part of the
declined in most of the experimen-
national Crime Reduction Pro-
tal zones, although in some areas
gramme and government plans
there was an increase in aggressive
to reduce school exclusions.
behavior toward teachers. In the
department Bouches des Rhône, The project. CRISS is a 2-year
there was a reduction in violence national pilot project (2000–01)
of 27 percent in the experimental to respond to school exclusions,
schools and 15 percent for the bullying, truancy, and local crime
department as a whole. In some problems. Local authorities and
regions, such as the Paris suburbs, secondary schools across England
it has increased. An evaluation of and Wales were invited to compete
the educational assistants found for £12 million in funds to develop
that they had a positive effect on a set of required programs with
the school climate, reducing corri- targets for reduction of problems.
dor and playground problems. The Contracts for implementation and
additional specialized staff were jus- evaluation teams were also put out
tified, but there needs to be stability to competitive tenders. About £1.5
among staff. Much depended on million has been allocated for the
the local teams. Schools with the evaluation. A total of 38 projects
longest experience of working in involving 103 secondary schools
partnership with local teams had were selected from applications in
the most success.
44
both single school projects and will be available at the end of 2001.
clusters of schools in an admin- Each project has set targets to
istrative area. Projects have created achieve by the end of the pilot peri-
multidisciplinary teams. Inter- od, such as reducing bullying by 40
ventions include whole-school percent, truancy to 1 percent, and
bullying programs, electronic moni- permanent exclusions to 15 percent
toring of attendance throughout the and maintaining 93-percent atten-
day with immediate followup, an dance levels. Schools vary in their
in-school behavioral unit to work project approaches and links with
with troubled students, peer media- local authority and community
tion training, curriculum changes, organizations. Problems of data
key literacy and numeracy projects, collection, data sharing, and confi-
improved afterschool clubs, coordi- dentiality have been a learning
nators to develop parent-school experience and a challenge for
links, and antidrug and offending some. The national evaluation team
programs run by local Youth is ensuring comparability of data
Offender Teams. Each school has collection and will look at overall
three teams assisting in implemen- outcome evaluation, including cost
tation and evaluation: a local pro- reductions and benefits.
ject initiation and development
team, a local evaluation team, Sources: Home Office, Police and
and the national evaluation team. Reducing Crime Unit, Clive House,
Projects are expected to meet London, SWIH 9HD England; 020–
target reductions. 7273–4000, 020–7271–8344 (fax),
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds
Outcomes. Evaluations of imple- (Internet).
mentation process and outcomes

VII. Notes
1. The U.S. Department of Educa- 5. One in 44 incidents in colleges

tion and the Centers for Disease was serious enough to be reported
Control and Prevention have been to the police, 1 in 28 in general sec-
collecting data on school-associated ondary schools (lycées généraux),
violent deaths (homicides and sui- and 1 in 31 in technical high
cides) since 1992. Although not schools (lycées professionnels),
finalized, the number of students according to the Ministry of
killed in schools appears to be less National Education, Research, and
than 1 percent, of which about 85 Technology, Paris.
percent were killed by firearms.
6. The Hamilton Fish Institute study
2. Many different expressions are found that anonymous student sur-
used to refer to bullying behaviors, veys report 100 times more guns
such as ijime in Japan and mob- in schools than school principals
bing in Scandinavia, but they are do in their annual reports under
not always exactly the same and the 1994 Gun-Free Schools Act.
there is no German word for bully- Some 287,000 high school students
ing (Smith et al., 1999). reported carrying a gun to school in
a 30-day period in 1995, but only
3. The Ontario Teachers Federation 2,317 high school students were
reported a 50-percent increase in expelled for doing so in the entire
serious and minor school violence 1996–97 school year (see Hamilton
between 1988 and 1990 (Bala et Fish Institute press release and
al., 1994); see also Walker (1994). report of 9/14/00 on www.
hamfish.org).
4. An earlier study by Dr. Paul
Kingery, Director of the Hamilton 7. These include the World Health
Fish Institute, analyzed the results Organization Health Behavior of
of the National Crime Victimization School Children survey carried out
Survey for 1993–95. He found that in 28 countries every 4 years (the
12-year-old children were at greater United States took part in the most
risk of victimization at school than recent 1997–98 sweep); and the
away from it: 61 percent of girls Third International Maths and
and 47 percent of boys who were Science Study (see the U.S. Annual
victims of violence by a stranger Report on School Safety, 1999). A
were injured on school property. major difficulty, however, is that we
See press release of 2/29/00 at cannot be sure that “feeling inse-
www.hamfish.org. cure” in schools in Ireland or New
Zealand means the same as in

American schools. (See also Akiba, 15. The teams are working in eight
et al., 2001.) countries under the direction of nine
universities. Part of the project
8. Most studies are based on self- involves a training and exchange
reports by children, some on parent program for team staff on the back-
or teacher reports. The ages of chil- ground and origins of school bully-
dren in reported studies vary con- ing and methods of intervention
siderably, as does the time period. and evaluation.
9. Not all studies agree. In one 16. Two examples are the
British school, there were higher lev- Roncallistrasse Elementary School
els of bullying experienced by girls project (Bendit et al., 2000) and
(25 percent) than boys (7 percent) the Wetzlar Model Police-School
(Noaks and Noaks, 2000). partnership (see chapter VI).
10. In Japan, there has been much 17. This is being developed by The
public and press focus on ijime fol- Hague Advisory Educational Centre
lowing a series of suicides by school (Junger-Tas, 1999).
children.
18. Two major projects have evalu-
11. See Arnette and Wasleben ated the whole-school, antibullying
(1998) for information on bullying program—in 23 schools in Sheffield
levels and The 1999 National Crime (Sharp and Smith, 1994) and 4
Prevention Survey. See National schools in Manchester and London
Crime Prevention Council (1999) for (Pitts and Smith, 1995). Other pro-
parent views on its seriousness. jects to make schools safer included
a police SchoolWatch program and
12. This has been the case in
a Safer School Safer Cities project
Canada, England, Norway, and
in Wolverhampton (Noaks and
Japan.
Noaks, 2000).
13. Ministry of National Education,
19. For example, Report of the
Research, and Technology, Paris.
Working Group on School Security
14. An international survey of 14- to and Improving Security in Schools.
20-year-olds in 12 countries (Killias Department of Education and
and Ribeaud, 1999) found increases Employment, 1996. School
in drug use in many European Security: Dealing With Trouble-
countries, with links to offending. makers. Home Office and
A Canadian school survey noted Department of Education
increases in hard and soft drug use and Employment, 1997.
in the 1990s (Centre for Addiction
20. It was developed by Dan
and Mental Health, 2000).
Olweus in 42 middle and primary
schools in Bergen, Norway, in the
1980s.
48
Notes
21. It was launched by the Ministry 26. Initially CSVR provided services
of Education, together with Justice, to victims in townships such as
the Interior, Defense, Culture, and Soweto, but its work has evolved
Youth and Sports. A 1994 report, into a more comprehensive com-
La violence a l’école, by the Ministry munity approach.
of Education Inspectorate had high-
lighted many of the problems. 27. Sticks and Stones: A Report
on Violence in Schools. ACT: Com-
22. In France, the concept of soli- monwealth of Australia (1994).
darité is central to understanding all
social problems. It stresses that all 28. Resource materials are being
citizens are linked together collec- developed by the Australian Council
tively and are dependent on one for Education Research.
another. Problems such as school
29. Education is a provincial
violence, therefore, require a collec-
responsibility in Canada, and prac-
tive and community response.
tices vary considerably across the
23. A National Observatory for the country. See Bala et al. (1994).
Safety of Schools and Institutions of Other work has reviewed school-
Higher Education was set up in based police programs (Ryan and
1995. It undertakes school safety Mathews, 1995), zero-tolerance
surveys and helps schools assess policies (Gabor, 1995), weapons
themselves. A 1996–2001 program in schools (Walker, 1994), and a
in the Créteil school district set up police-school partnership to devel-
an observatory to measure school op an antiviolence community
violence and to counterbalance school (Ryan, Mathews, and
media reporting. It is developing Banner, 1994). The province of
educational, preventive, and judicial Quebec published a comprehensive
responses. guide to preventing violence in
schools (Roy and Boivin, 1989).
24. The national framework was The Ontario Ministry of Education,
developed by the National Youth teachers unions, and school boards
Commission, the Department of also have produced a number of
Education, and the Secretariat for guides and tools on school violence
Safety and Security. It uses the prevention.
metaphor of a river with violent and
nonviolent streams that encourage 30. Only 4 percent involved their
or protect children from violence as community in prevention plans.
they grow up.
31. In the 1995 survey, 116 out of
25. CRISP includes the Independent 210 school boards in large urban
Project Trust and the University of areas in Canada were surveyed.
Natal who are piloting the approach Small towns and rural boards were
in Cape Town and Durban schools. excluded.

32. The National Crime Prevention resource development activities,

Centre promotes community safety and resource and technical activity
through social development and centers.
funds initiatives throughout Canada.
Its Investment Fund is set up to fos- 38. See NSSC Web site:
ter and evaluate demonstration pro- www.nssc1.org.
jects based on exemplary practice.
39. Many successful programs to
On school issues, the Centre has
prevent drug and gun use and gang
collaborated with a variety of other
activity in schools and to protect
government departments such as
students from recruitment or expo-
Health Canada and nongovernment
sure have been developed and eval-
organizations such as the Canadian
uated over the past 10 years, e.g.,
Association of School Principals.
Gang Resistance Education and
33. A gateway Web site (www.safe- Training Program; Drug-Free
healthyschools.org) is being devel- Communities Program; and Hands
oped for a coalition of federal Without Guns. See also Preventing
government and national education School Violence (NIJ, 2000). For an
and health organizations to provide overview of U.S. research on the
links to comprehensive community, role of the school in reducing delin-
school, and health initiatives. quency, see Schools and
Delinquency (Gottfredson, 2001).
34. A number of nonprofit organiza-
tions also offer conflict resolution 40. The Safe and Drug-Free Schools
workshops for teachers and stu- Initiative is funded by the Depart-
dents in the province (e.g., ment of Education in collaboration
Alternative to Violence Project). with the U.S. Departments of
Justice and Health and Human
35. Trousse de prévention de la Services.
violence au sécondaire (1996)
Montreal: Foundation Philip Pinel; J. 41. This includes the U.S. Depart-
Tondreau (2000) Inventaire d’outils ments of Education, Justice, and
sur la violence. Montréal: Centrale Health and Human Services.
des syndicats du Québec.
42. Risk factors include family fac-
36. See CDC (2000) for a complete tors such as poor parenting skills,
list. poverty, abuse, and conflict; individ-
ual factors such as early aggressive
37. This inventory summarizes behavior; school factors such as low
more than 100 current projects achievement, bullying, and truancy;
funded by 15 federal agencies: and community factors such as poor
surveillance/monitoring, evaluation housing, high resident turnover,
research, other research, research poor facilities, and lack of job op-
synthesis and application, programs, portunities. Projects with preschool,
50
Notes
elementary, and adolescent age and individual problems and race

groups often work to improve par- (Pitts, 1999).
enting skills, provide intensive sup-
port, and change thinking and 46. In England and Wales, a fol-
behavior patterns. lowup on the use of antibullying
packs found that the majority of
43. See International Centre for the schools have some form of bully-
Prevention of Crime (ICPC), Crime ing policy and had tried out other
Prevention Digest II (1999a) for a interventions, the most popular
review of risk reduction projects and being playground projects (60 per-
cost savings in crime prevention. cent). Most interventions were rated
by schools as “reasonably satisfac-
44. This diagram is taken from tory” (Smith and Madsen, 1997).
Crime Prevention Digest II (ICPC,
1999a) and is the model that is 47. The partnership is led by
increasingly used to develop suc- Business Against Crime and in-
cessful crime prevention initiatives cludes the Centre for the Study of
in other areas, such as cities, Violence and Reconciliation, Both
households, and on the streets. Sides of the Story, the Independent
Mediation Service of South Africa,
45. Europeans tend to talk about Sport for Peace, Save Our Schools,
poverty, housing, and unemploy- the South African Police Service,
ment levels to explain school and community police forums, and the
inner-city problems. In the United provincial Departments of
States, there has been a greater Education.
tendency to emphasize family

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Ottawa, Canada: Ministry of the Survey of Policies and Programs.
Solicitor General of Canada. Report 1995–2. Ottawa, Canada:
Ministry of the Solicitor General of
Ryan, C., Mathews, F., and Canada.
Banner, J. (1994). The Anti-
Violence Community School. South Africa (1999). Youth
Summary Report 1994–04. Ottawa, Violence in Schools. Pretoria, South
Canada: Ministry of the Solicitor Africa: Secretariate for Safety and
General of Canada. Security.
Shannon, M., and McCall, D. Stern, F. (1996). Oz Problem

(1999). Safe, Secure, Healthy Solver: Teaching Students Peer

Mediation. (Secondary schools). Washington, DC: U.S. Departments

Australia: Barwon Youth of Education and Justice.
Accommodation Committee.
U.S. Departments of Education
Sullivan, K. (1999). “Aotearoa/ and Justice (1999b). Indicators
New Zealand.” In The Nature of of School Crime and Safety.
School Bullying: A Cross-National Washington, DC: U.S. Department
Perspective, edited by P.K. Smith, of Education Office of Educational
Y. Morita, J. Junger-Tas, D. Olweus, Research and Improvement, and
R. Catalano, and P. Slee. New York, U.S. Department of Justice, Office
NY: Routledge. of Justice Programs.
Tondreau, J. (2000). Inventaire U.S. Departments of Education

d’autils sur la violence. Montreal, and Justice (2000a). Annual Report
Canada: Centrale des syndicats du on School Safety, 2000. Washington,
Quebec. DC: U.S. Departments of Education
and Justice.
U.S. Conference of Mayors
(1998). Preventing School Violence: U.S. Departments of Education
Best Practices of Mayors in and Justice (2000b). Indicators
Collaboration With the Police, of School Crime and Safety,
Schools and the Community. Washington, DC: U.S. Departments
Washington, DC: U.S. Conference of Educational Research and
of Mayors. Improvement, and U.S. Department
of Justice, Office of Justice
U.S. Departments of Education Programs.
and Justice (1996). Creating Safe
and Drug-Free Schools: An Action Utting, D. (1996). Reducing
Guide. Washington, DC: U.S. Criminality Among Young People: A
Department of Education and U.S. Sample of Relevant Programmes in
Department of Justice, Office of the United Kingdom. Home Office
Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Research Study 16. London,
Justice and Delinquency England: HMSO.
Prevention.
Vulliamy, G., and Webb, R.
U.S. Departments of Education (1999). Meeting Needs and
and Justice (1998). Annual Report Challenging Crime in Partnership
on School Safety, 1998. Washington, With Schools. Research Findings
DC: U.S. Departments of Education No. 96. London, England: Home
and Justice. Office RDS.
U.S. Departments of Education Walker, S.G. (1994). Weapons

and Justice (1999a). Annual Report Use in Canadian Schools. Report
on School Safety, 1999. 1994–05. Ottawa, Canada: Ministry
of the Solicitor General of Canada.
58
IX. Resources and Addresses
Bureau of Justice Assistance E-mail: hfi@hamfish.org

U.S. Department of Justice Web site: www.hamfish.org
Fourth Floor Center for the Study and
Washington, DC 20531 Prevention of Violence
202–616–6500 University of Colorado
Fax: 202–305–1367 Campus Box 439
E-mail: askbja@ojp.usdoj.gov Boulder, CO 80309–0439
Web site: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA 303–492–8465
E-mail: cspv@colorado.edu
Office of Juvenile Justice and Fax: 303–443–3297
Delinquency Prevention Web site: www.colorado.edu/cspv
810 Seventh Street NW. National Association of Secondary
Washington, DC 20531 School Principals
202–307–5911 1904 Association Drive
Fax: 202–307–2093 Reston, VA 20191
E-mail: askjj@ncjrs.org 703–860–0200
Web site: www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org Fax: 703–476–5432
Web site: www.principals.org
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Elementary and National Association of Elementary
Secondary Education School Principals
Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program 1615 Duke Street
400 Maryland Avenue SW. Alexandria, VA 22314–3483
Washington, DC 20202–6123 703–684–3345
202–260–3954 Fax: 703–549–5568
Fax: 202–260–7767 Web site: www.naesp.org
E-mail: oese@ed.gov
National School Safety Center
Web site: www.ed.gov/offices
4165 Thousand Oaks Boulevard
Hamilton Fish Institute Suite 290
George Washington University Westlake Village, CA 91362
2121 K Street NW. 805–373–9977
Suite 200 Fax: 805–373–9277
Washington, DC 20037–1830 Web site: www.nssc1.org
202–496–2200
Fax: 202–496–6244

National Crime Prevention Council Ministry of National Education,

1000 Connecticut Avenue NW. Research, and Technology (France)
Thirteenth Floor Paris, France
Washington, DC 20036 Web sites: www.education.gouv.fr;
202–466–6272 www.cemtic.vd.ch/portail/violence
Fax: 202–296–1356
Web site: www.ncpc.org Crime Prevention Research
Resources Centre (South Africa)
European Commission Violence Web site: www.ncps-rrc.co.za
in School Initiative
Web site: europa.eu.int/comm/ International Centre for the
education/violence/home.html Prevention of Crime (Canada)
507 Place d’Armes
European Network of Research Suite 2100
on Bullying (England) Montreal, Quebec
Goldsmiths College H2Y 2W8 Canada
London, England 514–288–6731
Web site: www.gold.ac.uk/tmr Fax: 514–288–8763
E-mail: cipc@crime-prevention-
Scottish Council for Research intl.org
in Education (Scotland) Web site: www.crime-prevention-
Web site: www.scre.ac.uk/bully intl.org
60
X. For More Information
Margaret Shaw Bureau of Justice Assistance

Director, Analysis and Exchange Clearinghouse
International Centre for the Prevention P.O. Box 6000
of Crime Rockville, MD 20849–6000
507 Place d’Armes, Suite 2100 1–800–688–4252
Montreal, Quebec Web site: www.ncjrs.org
H2Y 2W8 Canada
514–288–6731 Clearinghouse staff are available
Fax: 514–288–8763 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to
E-mail: shaw@crime-prevention- 7 p.m. eastern time. Ask to be placed
intl.org on the BJA mailing list.
Web site: www.crime-prevention-
intl.org
Response Center
For additional information on BJA 1–800–421–6770 or 202–307–1480
grants and programs, contact:
Response Center Staff are available
Bureau of Justice Assistance Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5
U.S. Department of Justice p.m. eastern time.
Fourth Floor
Washington, DC 20531
202–616–6500
Fax: 202–305–1367
E-mail: askbja@ojp.usdoj.gov
Web site: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA

01-Covers For PDF 8/31/01 11:28 AM Page C3

Information
General Information
Callers may contact the U.S. Department of Justice Response Center for general informa-
tion or specific needs, such as assistance in submitting grant applications and information
about training. To contact the Response Center, call 1–800–421–6770 or write to 1100
Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20005.
Indepth Information
For more indepth information about BJA, its programs, and its funding opportunities,
requesters can call the BJA Clearinghouse. The BJA Clearinghouse, a component of the
National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS), shares BJA program information
with state and local agencies and community groups across the country. Information spe-
cialists are available to provide reference and referral services, publication distribution,
participation and support for conferences, and other networking and outreach activities.
The Clearinghouse can be reached by
❒ Mail ❒ BJA Home Page

P.O. Box 6000 www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA
Rockville, MD 20849–6000
❒ NCJRS Home Page
❒ Visit www.ncjrs.org
2277 Research Boulevard
Rockville, MD 20850 ❒ E-mail
askncjrs@ncjrs.org
❒ Telephone
1–800–688–4252 ❒ JUSTINFO Newsletter
Monday through Friday E-mail to listproc@ncjrs.org
8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Leave the subject line blank
eastern time In the body of the message,
type:
❒ Fax subscribe justinfo
301–519–5212 [your name]
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U.S. Department of Justice

CRIME PREVENTION SERIES #3

U.S. Department of Justice

Bureau of Justice Assistance

For grant and funding information, contact

Prepared by Margaret Shaw

This monograph was prepared for the Bureau of Justice Assistance by

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE iii

America Is Not Alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

II. The Problem and the Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Scope of the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

III. International Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

IV. Critical Elements of a Comprehensive Approach

From School Violence to School Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

V. What To Look Out For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE v

PROMOTING SAFETY IN SCHOOLS: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ACTION

VI. Examples From Practice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

IX. Resources and Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

X. For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Myers High School in Taber,

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 1

PROMOTING SAFETY IN SCHOOLS: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ACTION

consequences for children by positions who are concerned about

Two Hurt in Teenage Shootout

—Associated Press, September 27, 2000

Until recently, school safety activ- in helping children avoid delinquen-

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 3

PROMOTING SAFETY IN SCHOOLS: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ACTION

Many countries are using com- neighborhood communities. More

II. The Problem and the Trends

Scope of the Problem fighting, gang activity, weapons at

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 5

PROMOTING SAFETY IN SCHOOLS: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ACTION

• In South Africa, a national survey

The Problem and the Trends

Incidents in French Schools by Type

Verbal Physical Theft

—Ministry of National Education, Research, and Technology, Paris, France

Current Picture of School • In Japan, school violence against

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 7

PROMOTING SAFETY IN SCHOOLS: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ACTION

1999). In the Province of

International surveys allow us to In almost all those countries, while

The Problem and the Trends

Bullying Departments of Education and

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 9

PROMOTING SAFETY IN SCHOOLS: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ACTION

and well-being. It helps to explain Social Exclusion,

The Problem and the Trends

• Safety from theft.

culture and language. Some school

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 11

PROMOTING SAFETY IN SCHOOLS: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ACTION

recent years; others attribute that • Most aggressive and violent

• A few countries have serious

III. International Developments

European Initiatives Netherlands

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE 13

PROMOTING SAFETY IN SCHOOLS: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ACTION

Additional innovations include publishing guidelines on developing

• Adoption by many schools of IN ENGLAND, A WHOLE-SCHOOL, ANTIBUL-