The Students’ Best Ideas about Coping with Violence

This section is organized as follows:

3.0 The Students’ Best Ideas about Coping with Violence
3.1 The Student and Violence
3.2 Parents and Violence
3.3 Teachers and Violence
3.4 Schools/Administrators and Violence
3.5 Law Enforcement, the Community, the Media and Violence
3.6 Other Recommendations
3.7 Is Violence Inevitable?
3.7.1 Violence is inevitable
3.7.2 Violence is not inevitable
3.8 Lateral Thinking about Coping with Violence
3.9 The Causes of and Ways to Avoid School Violence
3.9.1 Top 10 causes for violence
3.9.2 Top 11 ways to  protect oneself against violence
3.9.3 Top 12 ways to avoid violence
3.9.4 Top 9 ways to prevent violence

3.0 The Students’ Best Ideas about Coping with Violence

This section reflects the results of brainstorming by the students and multiple iterations of ranking and prioritization of their ideas. Using EMS, they collaborated to pick their best ideas and recommendations under several categories. Some ideas appear in more than one category. After the ranking was complete, they offered additional informal commentary about each topic.

3.1 The Student and Violence

The students selected the following ideas from among hundreds that they generated during the brainstorming sessions, grouped them for the category: The Student and Violence, and then ranked them in order of importance. The top ranked ideas within the category were then transferred to the EMS topic commenter tool so that the entire group could elaborate further about each one. The results are presented here. Their top-ranked ideas appear in bold Italics and their subsequent informal comments or elaboration appear following each major point. The material presented here was then used as a basis for one or more student essays that appear in a separate section of this report.

1. We can't keep on devising better ways of protecting ourselves. We would soon be each in our own cocoon and loose all social contact and respect for each other. We have to deal with violence by making violence unacceptable in society. We need to be self-policing as a primary step and group policing when a problem gets beyond what we can deal with individually.

• This is more of a general comment for society. Individuals need to be involved in this process.
• Classes on relationships and conflict management
• If you isolate violence, you would only be creating a separate, violent society. The community needs to get involved in violent affairs if they want a solution. It needs to get into the lives of violent people, find out motives and personal problems, and provide counseling to violent individuals.
• This cocoon talk may seem a little juvenile and far-fetched to the state board of education
• Isolating people with violence doesn't stop them from being violent
• This, as far as a political or school action is concerned is a wee bit difficult to act upon. This largely relates to individual action, which should be a commonsense thing, as well as good judgment, for most people.
• Teach that no man is an island
• Classes to teach students how to manage conflict and develop relationships.
• Emphasis should be placed on preventing the source of conflict rather than the effects of it.
• Violent behavior is often the result of one being emotionally isolated from others. Interventions that emphasize greater psychological, emotional, physical or social distances from others only serve to magnify this problem
• Remember "Lord of the Flies"

• Everyone is different, and you shouldn't beat up your peers because of that
• Develop methods of encouraging morality and self confidence
• Some kids don't have any morals and that is the problem, they need to be taught right from wrong. If that is not being done in the home then it needs to be done in the next best place, the schools.
• When you're a kid, your parents pump a lot of "right" ways to behave in your head. Follow those things
• What is meant by "Your own morals"? I think that if a student should have his/her own morals, they need to come from a reliable source like caring parents or the church. They should teach right and wrong and responsibility.
• Keep your morals, but do not cause more harm but trying to impress your beliefs on others. have the guts to do what you say when confronted with peer pressure. encourage those who do
• We can't assume that because someone follows their own set of moral standards that they will necessarily conform to the will of society.
• The schools should institute a character program that is more than a 2 minute a day requirement. It should be heavily focused area for grade school; teach them while they are young, and when they are old, they will not depart from it.
• Teach that your rights stop when they infringe on someone else's

• Think...you mean...think about the consequences..., right?
• Classes in conflict management and stress management
• Teachers and other officials need to show kids the consequences if they don't think before acting. Harsh punishments could help make kids think.
• A student definitely needs to think before he/she acts. Conflict management and self control are essential in controlling school violence. The answer lies in the individual - if the individual practices self control and emotional management, then a solution can be found.
• Can you predict the outcome of your actions? Students must learn that what they do affects a wide variety of people.
• Every action will bring about consequences, just some people don't think about consequence until they have done something. maybe these people should go to some kind of institution to learn to think ahead a little.
• A student should know that his/her actions have direct consequences
• Students should consider every possible alternative before acting

• Encourage through posters and direct contact with students those students who display good morals, respect and judgment.
• Students should definitely be role models for their peers and for younger students
• As it says, teachers and other officials need to be the example. A good habit to learn is not to show lots of frustration in the classroom, especially towards the students.
• Students should always be attentive to the problems of another student, as that sets an example for other students to follow.
• Moral values have to be followed by influential people like upperclassmen, teachers, etc. What they do and how they act influences what younger people do.
• Set good examples, but don't go around bragging about them. help encourage those who are trying.
• Set up mentor programs that pair older and younger students. then the older student can answer questions, while being a friend and example
• Everyone needs to try to be a role model. it's retarded the way the people most looked up to today are the people who try to be the most diametrically opposed to standard morality.

• Students should realize that they are obligated to inform officials if they have information about any kind of violent acts that may take place
• If teachers can convey to students that it is ok to tell them if something is wrong in the class or school, then it can greatly reduce violence because teachers and officials can be warned before the incident occurs.
• Make counselors get better training so that they are better at handling school violence problems. also, "safe place" areas with signs help students know they can go somewhere to be safe and get help
• Most of the major violent school acts have been broadcast by the perpetrator before the act was committed.
• Counselors need to become more than punishers and college counselors. They need to understand conflict management and conflict resolution. They need to be able to help any student or direct the student to someone who can help them
• Students need to feel like stopping violence - even things like a fight planned between periods - is important to them personally. This 'brotherhood' of conspiracy that frowns on alerting authority is harmful to everyone.

• We shouldn't be too naive
• This is a little silly. There are threats made all the time and very few of them are carried out. Rational judgments must be made on each case, rather than assuming an exclamation to be a veritable admission of de facto guilt.
• This requires some discretion-make good judgements about people's intentions. Know, or try to know, when people are kidding around. Perfectly innocent people could find themselves in trouble if this gets out of hand, or lacks discretion.
• Students should be encouraged to discreetly report any action or talk about hurting someone. There have been too many cases of talk then violence.
• It is the exception rather than the rule that someone with a significant emotional or psychological problem is able to recognize the full extent of their problem. Proactive behavior is often lacking resulting in conditions escalating to an emergency situation before others fully appreciate the seriousness of the situation.
• Don’t go off the deep end and do the Salem witch craft trial thing and turn in every student who makes a threat. have some common sense; be able to distinguish between real threats and jokes/sarcasm. if there is a threat, don't hesitate to call authorities. also, make sure counselors have the training to handle the students who make the threats.
• A serious threat needs to be acted on even if occasionally innocent people are implicated. Nobody took the threats in AK, MS, OR, or PA seriously and people were killed.

• You can't make someone change their racist/sexist beliefs, but make sure that facilities are not segregated and that both sexes and all skin colors are treated equally within the school
• While racism and sexism are certainly undesirable social mind sets, I doubt they are major contributors to school violence.
• If a student is openly and knowingly practicing ethnocentrism, then that is entirely their fault. Let them be responsible for that offense by making it a punishable act. It should be a mandatory punishment, because anything that can be done to avoid a possibly violent situation is worth the effort.
• This is a societal concern but certainly could lead to violence. If students are raised properly to respect all people regardless of skin color, religion, sex, etc., then they will not grow up racist.
• Students should be taught that it is wrong to judge people before they get to know them. I also like the idea of non-segregated classes. Even though it is not a law to segregate classes or groups, students tend to segregate themselves according to race or sex.
• Racism and sexism should not be tolerated. Firm, consistent measures including guidance against racism and sexism should be developed.
• Before this can be applied, being racist and sexist should be clearly defined
• Punish students for racism
• Racism and sexism are issues that should be considered as a cause of school violence. Teachers and parents should not tolerate any such comments by students or teachers or other parents.

1. The main responsibility rests with parents. A family can (and does) influence the values of the children it raises. Students should be encouraged to exhibit ethical behavior, and to pursue appropriate life styles. This is the parents’ primary role in life. Parenthood is a tremendous responsibility, and it must not be taken lightly.

• Be a good example
• Parents or parent ..not all situations in the home are the same....don't idealize
• Develop a violence IEP to help parents, counselors, teachers, principal and student get a handle on his violence.
• Parents need to relay to their kids what is appropriate and what isn't. They also need to point out why.
• If a parent refuses to deal with the violence or is unable to deal with the student's violence, turn the situation over to the authorities.
• Parents (where available) need to be aware that they are the primary factor in shaping how a child will be. They need to set a good example and encourage fundamental values.
• If parents are unwilling to accept the great responsibility of parenthood, they should not have children.
• Religion should not be propagated as the ultimate source of morality. Ethics can and often do stand and develop independently of religion. Religion is only an additional method some people choose to encourage certain modes of behavior.
• Religion, though it is the answer for many people, is not the answer for others.
• Offer parental literature for free at schools, churches, community centers--teach them to be parents
• Always be supportive and surround your child with the love and support you want them to show later on in life

• Parents should set a good example for their children. There are parents who tell their children don't smoke, don't drink, don't hit others when they themselves do the exact thing they are forbidding their children to do
• Parents need to be the first teachers of morals and self control. Parents should not rely wholly on somebody else to teach their kids on how to be moral and ethical

• Parents should try to shelter their kids from violence or otherwise related events in the media as much as they can at an early age so the kid can grow up not seeing so much violence and therefore not using violence.
• Parents have to control what their children see on TV. Encourage and develop incentives for reading.
• Watch TV with your kids, explain that violence is wrong--be the example by being there, with them, teaching
• Parents are the first things their child sees at birth, besides the doctor or whoever else, they should also be the first to teach their kids good, moral behavior
• Parents should definitely monitor what their children are watching on television. If a parent feels that their child is mature and can handle an R movie, then he/she should allow their child to watch it but should also talk to their child about the consequences of following any indecent behavior
• You can't shelter them from all TV violence, watch the news, but tell them why it's bad

• Watch for tendencies to hit inanimate objects because this could result in violent actions later on
• Parents also need to monitor the anger that they themselves are experiencing. If they are angry at the child, they might have a tendency to explode. Parents must also cool off before confronting a child about something they've done.
• Set an example-don't punish while you are angry. The punishment might be too harsh if done while livid. If the parent is prone to an easily ignited temper, try to avoid displaying such to your children-this could promote similar behavior later on. Above all, do not abuse your family verbally or physically; -much of this passed through generations.

• Offer conferences and workshops for parents that encourages learning and listening to their children; a lot don't know what to do, so they are overly strict
• Let your kids know it is wrong to break the law and household rules. be lenient under some circumstances. there are many things we teens mess up on, and that is a NORMAL part of life. we know we make mistakes, so don't always be so hard on us, because we do learn from them. there are bigger battles and issues to be fought- drug use, premarital sex, violence, so save it for those. don't chew us up for forgetting to empty the garbage.
• Too much discipline is a factor in school violence. Disciplinary action must be restrained only to situations where it is required.

• True...so we need to educate the parents as well so they will know they should do that
• Parents should read their children books that are entertaining but teach that violence is not the answer to problems.
• Teacher and administrators need to respect parents so that the students will see the respect. Teachers sometimes act like parents are stupid.

• Take kids to the church/temple/whatever and expose them to what you think is morally right. do not impose your beliefs. allow them to grow in their faith and teach them how to be humane. Practice what you preach! Hypocrisy is destroying what we work so hard to teach!
• Teach them citizenship, by joining groups that do community work, so that they can get a sense of what it means to do right and moral things; offer more in the community
• Parents must not leave the moral judgement of their children to chance. The school does not need to exclude the parents from moral issues regarding their children.
• Do not give condoms to students. Teach them that abstinence is the only truly effective method of birth control.
• If you don't care what your kids are doing or where they are, then chances are they don't care either.
• When does aggressive behavior become an acceptable alternative? When inadequate coping skills exist or when such behavior has been demonstrated as being acceptable by others. while the schools may help identify when there is evidence of problems in this area, it is not the responsibility of the school system to assume the parental responsibility of addressing these problems. schools that are hard pressed to address basis academics
• Religion is not the progenitor of morality. Allow students to develop morals in their own ways. It is inconsiderate to assume one moral belief is the basis of ethics.

The students selected the following ideas from among hundreds that they generated during the brainstorming sessions, grouped them for the category: Teachers and Violence, and then ranked them in order of importance. The top ranked ideas within the category were then transferred to the EMS topic commenter tool so that the entire group could elaborate further about each one. The results are presented here. Their top-ranked ideas appear in bold Italics and their subsequent informal comments or elaboration appear following each major point. The material presented here was then used as a basis for one or more student essays that appear in a separate section of this report.

1. Parents and teachers can make a big impact on kids. If teachers and parents would teach their kids self control and build good moral foundations in them, violent acts would be fewer in number and society would benefit greatly.

• Other peoples/institutions can also be big influences
• Any display of "out of control" by a teacher must be dealt with immediately and appropriately. One such action by a teacher can result in loosing an entire year of trust and relationships.
• Good moral values must be followed in every household and practiced at school. Teachers should encourage moral values and practice them also.
• Set a good example
• Never, ever let a teacher treat a student with disrespect.
• Institute required workshops that teach teachers about disrespecting students, and the dangers of it. Teach them to listen, not harm

• Train teachers to recognize aberrant behavior.
• Too broad and encompassing
• While monitoring the actions of students is a good way to protect against violence, it is not a good way to cure it. And all social ills, ultimately, must be either cured or submitted to.
• The primary role of the teacher in dealing eliminating violence is to demonstrate acceptance and respect for the students.
• Teachers should be trained in psychology not only to detect problems but to deal with them as well.
• Teachers need to worry if they overhear a conversation involving questionable situations, but they shouldn't go and call the student's parents. They should confront the student or send them to a counselor or someone like that. must students are all talk and if you tell their parents what you overheard you've lost respect of the student. a teacher still has to know, though, if a student is going to have an act of violence

• Ethics might be a better word to describe what a teacher needs to teach in the classroom
• We can not teach morality in the classroom. It is not the place of these people to dictate a set of ethos. It must be a much more personal decision for it to be effective.
• While we can't necessarily teach it, we can certainly demonstrate morality by example. A teacher who does not have self-control should be removed.
• Have a program of giving a teacher a semester sabbatical so they can rest, study, and recover from 5 to 7 semesters in the classroom. Rotating teachers could be used to relieve teachers.
• We must teach morality in the classroom; most people don't learn Freud's ego and superego at home. If a person murders because his parent has, shouldn't he be taught that it is a crime? It is the place to represent ethics, . You may have forgotten that we teach the bill of rights, which protects the rights of others, which is essentially what ethics is--- teaching morals so that we will not harm ourselves and others!!
• Good morals are essential, but be sure not to infringe on any religious beliefs. You can teach and hope the message gets through, but do not force others to accept the same things you do. good ethics include the golden rule, respecting people for who they are, etc.
• The atmosphere in which students learn plays an important part in influencing kids. The classrooms need to be a non-stressful environment where good things are promoted. Teachers must be happy and motivational. Posters displaying good moral values and inspirational sayings would also help.
• Morals must be taught but this teaching should not infringe upon anyone's religious beliefs or ethnic background. This may sound silly but there is a fine line here that cannot be crossed.
• Don't teach religion, but I might note that none of the world's three major religions-Catholicism, Islam, and Hindu-- don't advocate violence
• Something as simple as reading Aesop's fables to a class of young children can help build a foundation of morality in the children that could be built on as the years pass
• Imparting these morals and character should not exceed a certain point-some parents or students are rather touchy about what kind of values their children are taught. Focus on the law and generally universal "morals", not simply opinions.
• Remember, teachers can make strong impacts on kids.

• Teachers should teach a happy and positive class because that will not only make it enjoyable for the students, but it puts them in a good mindset and if it is at an early age, the kids are more likely to grow up happy.
• Teachers play an amazingly big role in the attitude of a teenager. If a teacher says to a student when he/she is leaving class, "Hey, you did a good job today" or "That was a good answer" it can do a lot to make the student feel better
• Teachers don't even have to make comments. Just a smile in the hall could do a lot
• Kids pick up a majority of behavior at an early age. By teaching a kid moral values when at an early age, teachers can shape the mind of the toddler to become a nonviolent person.
• Parents are often uninvolved with the raising of their children, particularly in certain social classes. Parenting is a huge responsibility that too few people are willing and capable to fulfill. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop them from reproducing.
• A great place to teach little kids about violence is in kindergarten class. A teacher could even make this lesson into a little game where the kids can learn about the negative effects of violence.
• Every teacher could greet every student when they enter the classroom. There is no excuse for a teacher treating a student disrespectfully in the classroom. Teachers can be taught techniques of dealing with questions or delaying answers yet preserving the dignity of the student.
• A smile or a kind word will gradually soften the hardest student heart.
• Show them that violence is wrong, and reward good citizens with pizza parties.
• This may sound silly, but get kids watching positive shows and reading positive books as soon as you can. allow them to grow in the beliefs they hear, and do not shun them if they develop views of their own. if material they view is questionable, then discuss what you found to be inappropriate. do not censor, but be willing to discuss new view points

• The so-called hoodlum can be a nice person that dresses to express themselves. insist that teachers should treat them that way, or will be reprimanded
• Teenagers are trying to make themselves a place in this world and some dress a little strange. if they are comfortable with how they look then more power to them.
• These people are dressing this way to 'express' their lack of desire to fit in with society. This may very well indicate a lack of acceptance of laws and societal morality. The dress is meant to attract attention. They should not be surprised when it does.
• Some teenagers just demand attention and even if this is not the best way to get it, they should still be treated with respect.
• There are many styles of fashion in the world. clothes do reflect their owners to some degree; however, do not automatically assume you know how the student will act based upon what their shirt looks like. respect teens for their individuality.
• Different looking teens are also "good" kids ..i.e. RLC/IB (a reference to the school most of the students attend, The Jefferson County International Baccalauerate School, formerly known as RLC)
• As hard as it may be, odd looking teenagers are people to and have the same emotions and problems that regular teenagers have. They can even be taught the same way- the only difference is that they look weird and intimidating
• There is a common belief (especially among older teachers) that all teens are troublemakers. Teachers usually pick out the weird-looking teenagers and decide then that they are troublemakers. That is not necessarily true. Teachers need to have an open mind and think of teenagers as normal, responsible people and thus should treat them so.
• Fashion discrimination is, of course, stupid. But so is using fashion to try to separate ones' self. Purple Mohawks are *not* an appropriate expression of 'selfness'. It expresses nothing. Students should try to express themselves in ways that are constructive and true to themselves, rather then trying to look different. Trying to look different is really saying that you are not different at all, and are just trying to appear that way.

• A teacher is responsible for giving students the education they will need later on in life, not tormenting them or picking on them. teachers should be aware of how their actions cause peers to view each other. teachers should not be afraid to speak out if they feel that the safety of the school, class, or an individual is in danger.
• Maybe some elaboration....by whom ..to whom?
• If you never show trust in your students then why should they trust you. it's all a matter of respect
• Homework, as little as kids like doing it and teachers grading it's a good means of teaching responsibility...make it such a large part of their grade that it is undesiundesirable to not do it. Thus, kids take responsibility for their choices. Children should answer for the choices they make and be able to stand up for their opinions, therefore when mistakes are made or ideas criticized, then they only have to answer to themselves not anyone else.
• This comment is broad.  Teachers should be responsible individuals and stress ideas that will make the students more responsible.
• Show that with responsibility comes privileges, and that bad and violent behavior asks for punitive measures
• Everyone should be responsible for their actions.  A teacher should be willing to apologize to a student or a class if they have mistreated the class.  A teacher should have the freedom to remove themselves from the class without penalty if they find that they are getting overwhelmed.
• When students see a teacher willing to accept responsibility, they will copy the action.
• Perpetrators of violence other feel a lack of control and connection with their environment.  They often perceive themselves as being mistreated and victims of a rejecting environment.  Not only is it important for such individuals to be taught the need for being personally responsible for their life, but it is important to empower such individuals in this effort.
• Teachers should teach responsibility and at the same time, demonstrate it.
• Although homework seems to be what it sounds like, it can also be a tool to teach responsibility- reinforce this to the kids that homework is a responsibility.

The students selected the following ideas from among hundreds that they generated during the brainstorming sessions, grouped them for the category: Schools/Administrators and Violence, and then ranked them in order of importance. The top ranked ideas within the category were then transferred to the EMS topic commenter tool so that the entire group could elaborate further about each one. The results are presented here. Their top-ranked ideas appear in bold Italics and their subsequent informal comments or elaboration appear following each major point. The material presented here was then used as a basis for one or more student essays that appear in a separate section of this report.

1. Violence in schools - first thought....murder, shootings, etc....I just remembered acts of violence such as rape by school employees....background checks should be strict as well as strictly enforced

• There should definitely be background checks on not only teachers, but everyone who is employed by the school
• Violence isn't always the kids' fault. make sure that adult workers are not jeopardizing the school's safety. check records
• Do you want a child  molester teaching your child? make sure that quality educators teach your child quality behavior
• If an individual has a background of violence or other criminal activity they should not be allowed in the school in any capacity
• psychological backgrounds of teachers might be a good thing to know don't you think. ( administrators)
• yeah...good idea, somebody....there should be background checks for ANYONE who enters a school....maintenance men...UPS men..{and any women(so as not to sound sexist)}
• Always check whether a school official is qualified and responsible.  Doing a background check not only ensures that the officials won't do anything wrong, it also ensures that the official would be capable of promoting good values or friendliness.

• It is not possible to make all people nonviolent, upstanding citizens. What is possible is to remove those that can't be corrected, so that they do not harm others.
• Where would we move these violent people to?  It is not right to isolate these violent people so that they can be alone to contemplate further violent acts
• Punishment for violent acts should be swift and severe.  Harsh punishments make the students think twice about committing a violent act
• Unless it is a serious event, give one more chance, but two strikes and you are out!
• expulsion might be a little wimpy because the kid probably hates school.  Why not a suspension from school to a labor camp or some type of children's boot camp
• this is a touchy area. sometimes fighting is self defense. I do agree, however, that punishment needs to be strict. have students talk with others so that they understand the results of what they do. if they are caught with guns or drugs, bust 'em!!!
• infractions should be noted publicly by both the student and the parent.   violent acts/threats should result in an alternative school placement until there is some reliable assurance that such behavior will not be repeated.
• don't hit to solve-- hit the books

• Rewards are good, but giving rewards constantly to people who are consistently good is the same as favoring the student.  If rewards for good behavior are to be distributed, then they should be distributed only to encourage others to do well, not to keep someone from doing bad.
• This is *very* important. Society, at least on a student level, already condemns good behavior. Schools should actively combat this by rewarding responsibility with privilege, thus encouraging good behavior.
• Do not make added privileges such that it causes strict divisions in the school-this could lead to more violence instead of solving it. Set positive examples for good behavior, and encourage such-don't over do extra privileges.
• Good people do not need to be rewarded.  They have already received their award.  This type of behavior should not be put down.
• to a bad student, good students already seem to get privileges even if they really don't. they think being treated nicely is a privilege
• The students who behave *should* be favored. It encourages others to set a goal for themselves to win that favor. While arbitrary judgement of students is bad, judgements based on criteria are absolutely necessary.
• Teachers should try to create a friendly competition between students involving awards for good behavior i.e. stickers handed out for good behavior and whoever has the most stickers at the end of 9 weeks gets 5 dollars
• Students who are well behaved have earned a freedom that not all students deserve, or can handle.
• Rewards are not as good as just saying to the kid that he's a good kid.  If he was rewarded for every time he was good, what would happen when he got into the work place and found out he wasn't being rewarded any more.  This could cause some mental problems that could hurt society
• This cannot be superficial.  Students will lose all respect for a teacher who coddles the few or gives unwarranted attention.
• Make sure you don't accidentally make other students jealous. reward class behavior as well as individual behavior.
• encourage good behavior amongst classmates

• Don't permit it.  Administrators better make sure that their teachers and staff are not racist.  If discovered to be so, fire the offender.
• This should be a given.  If an individual is racist or sexist and that becomes a problem, they should be removed.
• Make employee conferences about racism mandatory--if the faculty can't get along with students can students get along w/students?
• Acting in prejudiced ways toward students, as far as race, gender, etc., is virtually illegal and should, in no way, be encouraged. Favoring a particular group only causes deeper rifts between students and each other as well as the administration-encourage a stronger sense of unity.
• define racism and sexism- fights could break out because of different peoples’ definitions

• Start with courtesy.  Always treat the student with courtesy.  Good manners are a two-way street and are the basis for respect.
• Do not attempt to teach morality in the school. The school is not the appropriate vehicle for adding morality. That is a very personal decision.
• Be careful with morality-focus on laws and school rules, not personal opinion or strong religious undertones.

• Teachers should have posters around the room that are happy and colorful and should always try to look as they are in a good mood because the environment and the teacher affects a student's mood.
• couldn't hurt
• keep classrooms a safe feeling place--especially grade school, make it happy filled with examples of their work, so that they have a feeling of self worth--that can eliminate/reduce an outcast feeling--don't play favorites
• kids can't learn in rooms with bullet holes- it's too scary! make sure that if you want them to learn, they are safe and comfortable. school shouldn't have the atmosphere that any moment a man might walk in and shoot someone. have better security.
• Warmth, a smile, a sincere welcome may be the most effective contributor to a good learning environment.  A student who has just been treated like crap by a teacher is not going to learn anything else from that teacher, maybe never!
• Students should rate teachers and if there is a consistent negative response, this should be investigated with possible action against the teacher.
• students should be participants in the development of such an environment.  if an environment is secure only because of external factors, responsibility for this environment has been shifted away from the individual to big brother
• make sure that colors aren't drab, not GRAY--  make sure that you use colors conducive to learning-- add plants so that they give a friendly environment-- add couches and chairs, make um want to come

• We can really hurt people by making rash judgments on first impressions.  The most creative mind and sensitive heart may be hidden within grotesque clothing.  Give the student an opportunity to prove his worth.
• you send the message that all kids that wear different things are bad---teach administrators that that is individuality, not insanity, or violent
• allow students to be safely unique!!!
• This people are just fashion-impaired

• Don't allow it.  Turn the issue over to the authorities immediately.  School is not a right but a privilege
• the punishment should fit the crime. don't say, "Well this is the first time and they are a good student"
• Disciplinary action must be constant and decisive.  Don't give lighter penalties to first-time law breakers.
• No exceptions.  Serious event.  Immediate expulsion with no chance to return.

The students selected the following ideas from among hundreds that they generated during the brainstorming sessions, grouped them for the category: Law Enforcement, the Community, the Media and Violence, and then ranked them in order of importance. The top ranked ideas within the category were then transferred to the EMS topic commenter tool so that the entire group could elaborate further about each one. The results are presented here. Their top-ranked ideas appear in bold Italics and their subsequent informal comments or elaboration appear following each major point. The material presented was then used as a basis for one or more student essays that appear in a separate section of this report.
1.  If "kids" commit crimes, such as murder, rape, arson, etc., don't be afraid to punish or try them like adults. A message must be sent that these crimes have harsh, undesirable consequences and kids will not get off easy because of their young ages.

• Agree!
• kids aren't kids after they do these things
• If a kid is old enough to commit a violent crime then he/she is old enough to pay the price.  they're not kids anymore
• for the most part, kids know what the end result will be when they do something. we know guns kill- the TV is always showing images of bloody dead people killed by guns. we are taught from age 5 that drugs are bad. if they are old enough to decide to do something criminal, they are old enough to be treated as such.
• if a kid commits an adult crime, then like someone said--it's more than just a kid thing for thrills--treat them the same
• society tends to feel sorry for kids who commit crimes, and often blame the parents. If kids can murder someone, then they should be punished, by law, accordingly. Putting them in juvenile detention centers only lets them get away with the crime and allows for a criminal adult life.
• I think if a 3 year old shoots someone because of a gun left out on a table the parents should be charged with the crime. if a teen shoots someone, they are able to think for themselves and therefore should be punished like an adult. like the adult of the 3 year old

• This is very necessary in order to effectively act against school violence.
• these ideas need to be put into use even though "trusty" didn't think of them first.
• Birmingham needs more safe teen activities and clubs. up north, cities are filled with safe places for teens to go, and kids can go and have a good time without all the pressure. hopefully, such activities will discourage or draw interest from potentially hazardous activities.

• This is a great start to solving the problem, but it must be taken to a higher level, soon.
• have a national teen task force --THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS
• the community needs to reflect non violent behavior before the problem will get any better.  Giving every body a little respect would help a lot.  Listen to Aretha Franklin's song
• Social activities are partly responsible for the atmosphere that has encouraged violence.

• Elementary kids think policemen are cool
• Tteenagers think police are the devil in disguise
• If police officers are made out to be bad, then that is what the kid would think. if they come to a school to talk about violence and how it is bad, and be friendly and positive at the same time, kids will learn to listen and look up to them.
• Policemen go really well with little kids and the kids would listen to a policeman

• There should definitely be a larger presence of policemen on the streets and in the schools to deter violence and crimes
• have law enforcement officers visible; so that people know the are being watched
• more cameras
• If the police force is an active part in society, people are more likely to respect the law.  police should not be intimidating though.  If the police take on a "tough guy" role, then rebellious people might be urged to show their superiority.
• Police need to be individuals in the community who are respected and valued, but also not seen as threatening-simply highly approachable people who are there to help the community.
• if the city has policemen walking around the streets, they could be more aware of the surroundings but they also need to be friendly to people, creating a more positive atmosphere on the streets.

• Media people need to keep a careful eye on what they are broadcasting and printing and be a little more aware of what could lead a person to violence.
• They see violence the news--but eliminate it in  our cartoons
• Media is just as impressionable to older kids as younger kids

• Make people like Ghandi a more influencing example--pay our teachers more--not a pro-basketball player
• Society has encouraged physical activity to the point where who is strongest, or fastest, or the best aim is considered the dominant force. This is a foolish thing, and society is now reaping what it sowed.
• what philosophies
• Encourage current moral heroes through reading programs, movies, plays, assemblies.  Recognize local persons of high character and leadership in school programs.
• Too much emphasis on athletics and not enough on academics.
• The outrageous salaries of sports players is one example. All these people have are physical strengths or skills. They contribute nothing to society. They play games for a living, and yet they are among the most revered (and most highly paid) figures in our society. How ludicrous.
• this sounds nerdy, but smart people and caring people are just as heroic as other typical heroes. too much emphasis on athletic ability and beauty has left teens violent, delusional, anorexic, etc. praise creativeness and intelligence. celebrate the human spirit.
• Academics should be more important than athletics.
• The emphasis in society should be on contribution to the world. It is ridiculous that what the role model of today has degraded to.

• Libraries could be encouraged to hold media awareness seminars.
• The media plays an important role in shaping student behavior.  For example, if someone listens to loud music with violent lyrics and rhythms consistently, then they are more likely to become violent.  Media should be restricted enough to prevent violence, but not to the point of censorship.
• Too much violence on TV, in the movies and in video games.  This should be limited much more than it is.

• Encourage youth sports.
• Make community youth sports a PE credit in school.
• encourage programs other than sports as well.  Music, outdoor activities and other non-competitive activities should be available to kids.
• give kids rewards, like school stuff, homework passes if they are in clubs
• If kids have other things to do besides hang out, then the occurrences of violence could be greatly reduced. "Idle hand are the devil's workshop."

The students selected the following ideas from among hundreds that they generated during the brainstorming sessions, grouped them for the category: Other Recommendations, and then ranked them in order of importance. The top ranked ideas within the category were then transferred to the EMS topic commenter tool so that the entire group could elaborate further about each one. The results are presented here. Their top-ranked ideas appear in bold Italics and their subsequent informal comments or elaboration appear following each major point. The material presented here was then used as a basis for one or more student essays that appear in a separate section of this report.

1.  We can't keep on devising better ways of protecting ourselves.  We would soon be each in our own cocoon and loose all social contact and respect for each other.  We have to deal with violence by making violence unacceptable in society.  We need to be self policing as a primary step and group policing when a problem gets beyond what we can deal with individually.

• No man is an island!! show him it's wrong
• Lord of the Flies
• When killing a weed, you have to kill the root.  The root of violence is in society itself.  More laws and metal detectors are only fighting the upper portion of the weed, it's not getting to the root.

• Athletics currently show more importance than academics.  People who achieve high grades in school are viewed as nerds, while athletic people, who are viewed as "cool" are the ones who tend to be more violent.  Academics must be essential in a student's life.
• Respect, compassion, a ready smile and sincere acceptance will do wonders toward relieving violence in our schools.  It is the rare individual who can resist a sincere compliment.
• all those things are nice but people take things way too personally.  Self control would be a better thing to work on

• We know-- a national task force would work wonders
• We've tried to do our part.  Please listen to the ideas of this group of students.  We're not that much different.

• Dysfunctional parents don't always have dysfunctional kids
• Come on, it's not a problem we can fix without invading rights!
• However, dysfunctional parents influence kids.
• If nothing can be done about family, encourage children by spending extra time with them. Kids need role models- be there for them even if their families can't/won't.
• When kids come from a "broken" home or bad environment, then the basis for morality and ethics may be lost. If parents are home to teach these things, then kids have no guidance or direction. Unfortunately, this is a very difficult thing for the government or other agency to correct private, personal home issues and individual families.

• Get help for those who cannot help themselves. make sure that counselors are not total sappy people. they need to be able to handle problem kids at school. tell parents their kid needs help, and if necessary, discuss treatment with the parents AND kid.
• That is correct, sir; yes.
• THERAPY
• Make everyone have a psycho-analyze test like you take the SAT or ACT
• Counselor should be competent and have psychology
• Interventions must recognize the difference between behavioral disturbances and problems reflective of significant psychological disorders.  parental training, use of behavioral contingencies, the use of social reinforcement systems may be proper for behavioral problems, but professional intervention is indicated in those situations indicative of true psychological disorders.  ongoing mhc support will be needed

The students brainstormed the question, "Is violence inevitable?".  The resulting ideas are listed below under the headings "Violence is inevitable" or "Violence is not inevitable". These ideas were not ranked.

3.7.1 Violence is inevitable

• Some people are going to be violent and nothing can be done about it
• Because of human aggressive drives
• People are not being taught right from wrong
• Violence is ingrained through thousands of years of evolution. Human nature can't be changed on a whim.
• It (violence) is human nature...I make a reference to "Lord of the Flies"....no human being is born innocent
• Violence has become a way to gain power and people naturally want to have power
• As long as outside forces such as gangs, drug, and abuse exist, violence will be inevitable
• There is a human nature that cannot be avoided and is always there no matter what we do.
• violence is inevitable when there is no other solution made evident to the offender
• Psychological disorders that cause some to be violent will always be there. These people can't fully control their actions
• Violence has always been human nature and if a person is provoked to the point of violence, then violence is inevitable
• Pride is so strong an emotion that most of us will not allow ourselves to be taught a better way of living
• Violence is an easy way out of situations, for many people. It is simple and direct. Many people will always take the path of least resistance.
• You think people are violent to be noticed?
• There is present in the nature of every human being a savage, wild side that is hidden, but with our society degenerating as it is, the savageness will emerge eventually
• There is nothing that we can do to eliminate violence - even people who are trying to stop violence have violence in their human nature
• Violence can bring gain. The majority of violence in society as a whole is not random violence for the sake of violence itself, but to procure material gain. This will always be so, and thus, violence will always exist is some aspect of society.
• Violence is an aggressive drive that stems from within, whether it was provoked by outside actions or not. If someone can't be taught or doesn't want to, you can't make up their mind for them

• There is a way to teach self control at an early age, whether it is in school, church, or the home and that could prevent a great deal of violence
• Nothing is inevitable. Our society can correct its internal wrongs if we are willing to devote the time, resources and concern that will be necessary.
• If people can change their thinking about other people, violence is not inevitable
• People can learn to control themselves.
• Certain behaviors can be taught
• We can learn to treat each other with courtesy and respect; hence, we will get along with less violence
• Teaching respect for others, and for yourself, violence can be avoided. We must instill  ego and superego.
• Violence is a natural part of human behavior.  It can be said that violence or the violent thoughts will always be with us.  However, there are some measures that can be taken to control the violent emotions.  Values have to be taught at an early age and stressed throughout life.  If values cannot be taught at home due to a dysfunctional family, they need to be taught at school.  The same applies to self control.
• Violence can be avoided if there is enough self control to walk away or not provoke things
• If communities and schools take an active part in leading kids towards a nonviolent behavior, then the school violence will decrease.
• Violence isn't inevitable because not everyone is violent.
• Violence would be nonexistent if everyone had self control
• To say that we can eliminate violence is questionable... to say that we can reduce violence is reasonable.  Violence is not inevitable because if we can reduce violence, we can contain violence.

The facilitator shared an example of lateral thinking with the students about a hotel in London that was first class except for its terribly slow elevators.  There were many complaints about the elevators and few complaints about anything else.  A study showed that the cost of replacing the elevators in the ancient building would cost more that the value of the building and thus was not feasible.  A consultant who practiced lateral thinking asked the owners what they wanted to fix: - the slow elevators or the complaints?  Hearing that the complaints were the real problem, the consultant recommended installing mirrors in every elevator lobby.  Complaints dropped to zero because patrons began using the mirrors for whatever purpose they deemed appropriate and stopped noticing how long they were waiting for the elevators.

The students were encouraged to use similar lateral thinking techniques to think of non-traditional approaches to solving school violence.  In approximately 10 minutes they had generated 113 discrete ideas. Some of them reflected traditional thinking, but a number of them are noteworthy examples of lateral thinking. Here are some of their best examples:
 

• Teach character in school, and not a "two-minute thing" every day.
• Have a prisoner that was charged on violence come in to schools and talk to the kids about what he did wrong
• The hotel did not solve the elevator problem...they solved the complaint problem.....we don't need to solve the violence problem...we need to solve the cause of the violence.
• Say 'Hi' to lots of people every day.
• Get the community involved by forming a committee dealing with school violence
• Treat violence as a "character flaw" and deal with it rather than alienate it
• Students can be taught when to intervene and when to report a problem
• Walk away from provocation
• Students can't be afraid to report people who are seriously talking about killing or hurting other students
• Nobody talks down to anybody
• Ask a person who is violent if they really like being a violent person…they may not know how to stop being violent
• Family values MUST be taught early in life to set what is right and wrong
• Part of each week's curriculum would be a class in relationships
• You shouldn't need to 'be careful what you say' in the average sense of the word. Certainly be considerate, but someone should not need to censor themselves because other people are so easily offended. That’s where we get dumb phrases like 'vertically challenged'.
• Institute programs that get people involved in extra curricular activities, then they will feel a part of something
• Have cultural awareness workshops that students are required to go to
• Give the whole class something to work against like a class project or program to stop violence so they all have a common goal to work together against, not work against each other
• In school suspension should be like a forced labor camp. Make it really undesirable.
• In-school suspension would be one-on-one with a trained counselor
• We’ve got to control anger because angry people don't learn
• Make school a privilege, not a right
• Go back to using stocks and public thrashings
• Everyone, including teachers, have to say 'yes, sir' and 'no, ma’am' or just 'yes' and 'no’ if you can't tell
• Reduce religious emphasis. Values should be taught as right or wrong, not just a way to avoid 'hell'. Religion should be a personal choice in addition to values.