What NYS school violence prevention certification workshops do I need?

Things have changed a lot since the last generation of adults were in school. Now, school violence seems to be a more prevalent problem than ever before. Which is why school violence prevention training programs exist to help teachers and school staffers the ability to prepare and deal with school violence.

Types of Violence Commonly Seen

• School shootings. These are all over the headlines the last few years and they seem to be happening more and more often. Whether it is one child being shot, a gun going off in school with no injuries, or tragic mass shootings, they seem to be occurring more and more often. School violence training classes help prepare teachers and workers for these kinds of situations.
• Weapons on campus. Other types of school violence occur without the use of a firearm. Other weapons that have been reportedly brought to campuses across the country include hunting knives, billy clubs, crow bars, baseball bats, and throwing knives among others.
• Bullying. Of all the types of school violence we see today, bullying is by far the most prevalent. It can take on many forms and can have a tremendous impact on students both in the classroom and at home. Bullying also takes on many forms from physical bullying to mental and emotional bullying.
• Gangs and drugs. The final risk for violence seen in our schools today is violence from gangs and drug use. Some areas are more prone to gang violence than others but it can happen anywhere and is why it is included in school violence prevention courses. Likewise, drugs can paly a role in school violence in many ways so it is important to know what to look for and what to do if drug use is suspected by a student.

Why School Violence Happens

“There are two core assumptions upon which most experts on the subject of school violence agree: 1) Violence is largely a learned behavior and 2) It enters schools from the streets and homes of the communities they serve. However, the findings of a highly regarded Canadian study suggest that physical aggression may be an inherent behavior that is, in most children, effectively discouraged as they mature. The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) tracked maternal reports of levels of physical aggression in their children from infancy. It found that the most physically aggressive period in a child’s maturation to age 12 is 24 months—a finding likely to be heartily seconded by any parent or older sibling who has lived through the “terrible twos.” From that point, with two lesser spikes at 36 and 42 months, the incidence of violent aggression declines throughout childhood. The obvious implication is that physical aggressiveness isn’t taught in the home and on the street, but that the child’s environment encourages—or at least fails to discourage—its continuation” (In The Know). Those who support either view, of course, have a valid argument and tend to equally support the idea that intervention to discourage physical aggressiveness must begin early and should be in the works well before the child ever enters formal school settings. And either theory is consistent with the belief that violence that begins in childhood is more serious and persistent than violence that begins in adolescence and that it is a leading cause of violence in schools today.

Sign up for your NYS school violence prevention certification workshop today!

Not sure if you need the online school violence prevention course? Learn more about who needs to take it here.