Week 2, Blog #3 Student threats of violence

Three main points that were discussed in the Student Threats of Violence video were the fact that the idea that violent juvenile crime is on the rise is actually false and is often times created by assessments that do not adequately represent the student body in the United States. In fact, juvenile violence is actually on the decline. Second, This decline is associated with improved economics, allowing parents to be home more to watch their kids, Improvements in Law Enforcement and an increase in educational programs and after school programs.  Third, statistics actually show that school is the safest place to be!

Having a son who just graduated High school and a son who is going into kindergarten, i have experienced the schools zero-tolerance guidelines and am concerned about the path it leads our youth down, As stated in the video, zero tolerance allows for NO flexibility and drives children and staff to ignore or possibly not report incidents due to the treat of expulsion. The implementation of a threat assessment program seems to be a more realistic approach to dealing with students violence and threats of violence.  Consisting of two different types of evaluations, a mental health evaluation and a legal evaluation on a case per case basis allows the punishment to tailor the act and allow for students to learn a different approach to issues other than using violence.

The role that Social Capital plays in adolescent violent behaviors takes into context the social environments in which adolescents lives are structured upon and around.  It has long been said that enrolling kids in an after school sport or other activity helps keep them out of trouble; that is a good example of positive social capital.  According to the article written by Wright and Fitzpatrick, students are more likely to act violently when they lack relationships and are disconnected from others.  On the other side of the coin, students that benefit from socially constructive activities and have more social ties have closer, more cooperative relationships.


Works Cited:

Research Channel (Producer) (2008, February 21). Student Threats of Violence. [YouTube video].

Wright, & Fitzpatrick (2006). Social capital and adolescent violent behavior: Correlates of fighting and weapon use among secondary school students. Social Forces, 84(3), 1435-1453.