The Center for the Prevention of School Violence's Safe Schools Pyramid reflects the Center's view that schools must be comprehensive yet individual in their approaches to solving the problem of school violence. The strategies which comprise the Safe Schools Pyramid have been identified as "promising" because they are proactive approaches which are based upon intervention as well as prevention. Ultimately, individual schools must actively decide the most appropriate basis from which to address their specific problems of school violence. For most, a mixed philosophy of intervention and prevention will be the most promising overall approach to use.

The programs which comprise the Pyramid are student focused. The Center's work to date indicates that the most successful programs are those that are student focused. These types of programs recognize the important roles that students play in addressing the problems which exist in their own schools. The Pyramid's programs are designed to create environments in which students can learn or to empower students themselves to address the problems which exist in their own schools. School Resource Officers (SROs) and attention paid to physical design and technology help create safe and secure learning environments while law-related education, conflict management and peer mediation, Students Against Violence Everywhere (S.A.V.E.), and Teen/Student court empower students to deal with problems which may arise.

A School Resource Officer (SRO) program places officers in schools in an effort to create and maintain safer learning environments. SROs should be looked at as resources to which their schools can turn. As such, SROs fulfill three roles. They act as law enforcement officers, law-related counselors, and law-related education teachers. As law enforcement officers, their primary purpose is to "keep the peace." As law-related counselors, they provide legal guidance to students and act as links to support services both inside and outside the school. As law-related education teachers, they share their special law enforcement expertise in the classroom. SROs also serve as positive role models for students.

Law-related education (LRE) is directed at teaching students to be successful citizens. Students are introduced to concepts important in a democracy. They are taught about the importance of law and of being law-abiding citizens. They are encouraged to become participatory citizens. With reference to violence prevention, LRE offers students a way to learn about conflict management. They learn that there is value in communicating and in compromise.

Conflict management skills and peer mediation programs empower the school community. Both teachers and students are taught to recognize conflict as a natural part of daily life and trained to manage conflict through the acquisition, development, and application of communication skills. Respect for others, cooperation, and understanding are emphasized as critical to the successful management of conflict. Active listening and compromise are central concepts highlighted in peer mediation programs. The skills taught with both approaches can be applied throughout life.

Student-involvement approaches are student initiated, student directed, and student operated. No better illustration of this exists than S.A.V.E. or Students Against Violence Everywhere chapters. S.A.V.E. chapters emphasize and encourage an attitude of nonviolence. Through school and community events, students in high school, middle school, and elementary school promote nonviolent solutions to conflicts.

Teen Court and Student Court offer particular types of law-related education. With these strategies students actively settle disputes through the application of judicial procedures. Teen Court is operated in cooperation with the court system. Student Court takes place within the school but is based upon the procedures of the court system.

Preventing school violence through physical design and technology involves assessment of the physical school environment with the intention of increasing the safety and security of that environment. Inspection of the physical design of the school is the first crucial step in this strategy. From such an inspection, a prevention plan can be developed and enacted to address problems. Such a plan tends to focus on controlling access to school property as well as maintaining control on it. When appropriate, the plan may include some application of technology, such as use of metal detectors or surveillance cameras. Preventing school violence through design and technology offers a strategy that enables school officials to provide a safe and secure learning environment in which students can achieve and succeed.

RESOURCES

Center for the Prevention of School Violence

1-800-299-6054

Center for Disease Control Resource Center

www.mendezfoundation.org/resources/helpfullinks.general.htm

Created by Aaron Hamann ©2000