Author: Psychiatry

Initiating Change

-Initiating Change
-Statistics
-Student Stressors
-Warning Signs

Schools are at an advantage for identifying youth who may need extra support or guidance to prevent undesirable situations in and out of school. Creating a safe and supportive environment for students to learn and flourish should be a top priority for schools to ensure academic and social success.
Furlong, Felix, Sharkey and Larson (2005) propose that creating a safe environment in school requires the implementation of balanced security measures with discipline, positive supports, skill building, parent and community involvement, and positive school climate. They suggest that the school develop a safety team involving diverse stakeholders that assess the schools’ safety needs, target pressing problems, create awareness within the school and target bullying (Furlong, Felix, Sharkey, & Larson, 2005).
Consider the skills of the staff at your school and who would be best at coordinating and facilitating a team to develop a violence prevention/intervention plan for the school.
This collaboration between the school, the parents, and the community members is an important aspect of developing and maintaining a strong partnership to best address the issues within the school.
Often students who act violently have trouble controlling their feelings. They may have been hurt by others. Some think that making people fear them through violence or threats of violence will solve their problems or earn them respect (APA, 2004).
Dodge, Lansford, Burks and others (2003) suggest that there are factors and stresses that may lead to the development of social aggression in students. Results from their studies indicate that peer rejection and isolation are such factors. Sometimes there are long-standing issues that may prompt students to become violent such as those listed on the next page.

Statistics
In the U.S., youth ages 5-18 were victims of 28 school-associated violent deaths from July 2004 through June 2005 (21 homicides and 7 suicides).
In 2004 , students ages 12-18 were victims of about 1.4 million nonfatal crimes at school, including about 863, 000 thefts and 583, 000 violent crimes (such as simple assault and serious violent crime)—107,000 of which were serious violent crimes (rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault).
In 2005, 10 percent of male students in grades 9-12 reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property in the past year, compared with 6 percent of female students.
Black and Hispanic students were more likely than White students to fear for their safety regardless of location in 2005.
Available at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2007003

Factors and Stressors that May Lead to School Violence1

Frustrations from the long school year
Anticipation/anxiety issues related to summer vacation
Fear of major transitions, such as graduation or moving to a new school
Failing grades and recognition of the reality of repeating the same grade
Pressure of semester exams
Awareness of provocative spring anniversary dates (highly publicized school shootings, Hitler's birthday, Oklahoma City bombing, or the Branch Davidian fire in Waco)
High stakes testing results (mandatory retention, possible denial of a high school diploma)
Isolated youth
Peer rejection
Dodge, KA, Lansford, JE, Burks, JS, Bates, JE, Pettie, GS, Fontaine, R, & Price, JM (2003). Peer rejection and Social Information Processing: Factors in the Development of Aggressive Behavior in Children. Child Development, 74, 374-393. Retrieved on May 31, 2007 from: http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/springtimestress.aspx

Warning Signs If you see these immediate warning signs, violence is a serious possibility: - loss of temper on a daily basis -significant vandalism or property damage -increase in drug or alcohol usage -increase in risk-taking behavior -detailed plans to commit acts of violence -announcing threats or plans for hurting others -enjoying hurting animals -carrying a weapon
Keep in mind that some students may not show any outward expressions of violent ideations or intentions. For that reason, it is important to communicate with your students and provide positive attention to all of them. Incorporating violence prevention lessons within academic learning is advantageous. If there are students who you are concerned about, refer them to a mental health clinician or counselor. Don’t be afraid to intervene.

References:
American Psychological Association. (2004). Recognizing Violent Warning Signs in Others. Available at: http://www.apahelpcenter.org/featuredtopics/feature.php?id=38&ch=3
Furlong, MJ, Felix, ED, Sharkey, JD, & Larson, J. (2005). Preventing School Violence: A Plan for Safe and Engaging Schools. National Association of School Psychologists. Student Counseling, Available at: www.nasp.org
Dinkes, R., Forrest Cataldi, E., Kena, G. & Baum, K. (2006). Indicators of School Crime and Safety. U.S. Department of Education and Justice. Available at: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2007003

Page #

This story can fit 150-200 words.
One benefit of using your newsletter as a promotional tool is that you can reuse content from other marketing materials, such as press releases, market studies, and reports.
While your main goal of distributing a newsletter might be to sell your product or service, the key to a successful newsletter is making it useful to your readers.
A great way to add useful content to your newsletter is to develop and write your own articles, or include a calendar of upcoming events or a special offer that promotes a new product.
You can also research articles or find “filler” articles by accessing the World Wide Web. You can write about a variety of topics but try to keep your articles short.
Much of the content you put in your newsletter can also be used for your Web site. Microsoft Publisher offers a simple way to convert your newsletter to a Web publication. So, when you’re finished writing your newsletter, convert it to a Web site and post it.

This story can fit 75-125 words.
Selecting pictures or graphics is an important part of adding content to your newsletter.
Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the message you’re trying to convey. Avoid selecting images that appear to be out of context.
Microsoft Publisher includes thousands of clip art images from which you can choose and import into your newsletter. There are also several tools you can use to draw shapes and symbols.
Once you have chosen an image, place it close to the article. Be sure to place the caption of the image near the image.

This story can fit 100-150 words.
The subject matter that appears in newsletters is virtually endless. You can include stories that focus on current technologies or innovations in your field.
You may also want to note business or economic trends, or make predictions for your customers or clients.
If the newsletter is distributed internally, you might comment upon new procedures or improvements to the business. Sales figures or earnings will show how your business is growing.
Some newsletters include a column that is updated every issue, for instance, an advice column, a book review, a letter from the president, or an editorial. You can also profile new employees or top customers or vendors.

Primary Business Address Your Address Line 2 Your Address Line 3 Your Address Line 4

Phone: 555-555-5555 Fax: 555-555-5555 Email: xyz@microsoft.com

Business Name

This story can fit 175-225 words.
If your newsletter is folded and mailed, this story will appear on the back. So, it’s a good idea to make it easy to read at a glance.
A question and answer session is a good way to quickly capture the attention of readers. You can either compile questions that you’ve received since the last edition or you can summarize some generic questions that are frequently asked about your organization.
A listing of names and titles of managers in your organization is a good way to give your newsletter a personal touch. If your organization is small, you may want to list the names of all employees.
If you have any prices of standard products or services, you can include a listing of those here. You may want to refer your readers to any other forms of communication that you’ve created for your organization.
You can also use this space to remind readers to mark their calendars for a regular event, such as a breakfast meeting for vendors every third Tuesday of the month, or a biannual charity auction.
If space is available, this is a good place to insert a clip art image or some other graphic.

Your business tag line here.

Organization