Conflict and violence affect school personnel and students. Students in grades preschool to high school experience some form of violence each year. Violence and conflict include gender-based violence and bullying. Some schools lack policies for educating learners with disabilities and low-income families.
Learning Impacts
Violence disrupts the learning process with effects that continue inside the classroom. Students struggle to stay focused on lessons. Thus, their cognitive development is hindered. Their grades suffer; they spend too many days out of school and often drop out when they enter high school.
Students who face violence have the possibility of facing psychological and mental distress, depending on their experience. Schools need to have health programs that include sex education for students who face violence.
Teachers who face violence are also affected. Teachers in all grade levels face students who verbally abuse them. They also experience physical assaults from students. Thus, a teacher’s stress level increases and leads to teacher burnout. Violence, to any degree, affects the learning environment.
Causes of Violence
Violence in school includes student-to-student, student-to-teacher, or student-to-administrator. Psychological violence includes verbal and emotional abuse. Such actions are insults, humiliation, name-calling, and rumors. When students experience such abuse, it can impact them for years.
No research identifies the exact cause of school violence. However, there may be some social factors that cause conflicts and violence.
- Poor grades cause stress and conflicts with peers.
- Previous violence
- Impulse reactions
- A mental condition
- A victim of violence
- Drugs
- Availability of weapons
Violence and conflicts in the community spill into schools. It disrupts the classroom climate and contributes to the fears and security of the students.
Ending Conflicts and Violence
Educating students is a way to prevent violence. Schools need to create safe, inclusive, and supportive environments. To prevent violence, teachers need training, policies, and a curriculum that trains them to report what they see and hear in the classroom. Fostering a safe learning environment is important today.
Today’s education system must promote a safe and peaceful environment. This is a basic part of a student’s learning experience.
- Precise anti-violence policies are needed. They must be enforced across all schools.
- All educators need training in positive discipline. They need gender-responsive teaching and conflict resolution. Teachers with social-emotional training foster a positive climate for students to develop a positive environment for empathy, emotional intelligence, and positive communication skills.
- Students must be empowered to be change-makers. Student-led programs are important to lead anti-bullying programs. Students must lead a positive change in schools. They need to be a part of the decision-making process.
- Collaboration with outside programs and the school community makes the school safer.
When schools and communities work together, safe learning is created. Everyone must create safe schools where students show respect and are empowered to learn.
