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 December 2004 |
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IN THIS ISSUE: The Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence provides information, research, and support to make schools safer for high achievement. |
Persistently Safe Schools Conference a huge success “Very informative!” “Fantastic!” “Sign me up for next year!” We’re glowing from the praise we received for our recent national conference, Persistently Safe Schools, held in Washington, D.C. October 27-29, 2004. Approximately 200 researchers, teachers, and school administrators from across the country attended the conference that focused on not just the latest research in school violence prevention but, more importantly, the practical application of that research in school settings. Robert D. Barr, Ed.D. of Boise State University opened the conference with a keynote address that discussed how alternative schools have been successfully used to increase graduation and attendance rates and to reduce violence. Another keynote address was given by William Modzeleski, associate deputy under secretary of the Office of State and Drug-Free Schools within the United States Department of Education. Modzeleski discussed how approaches to school violence prevention have changed since the Columbine High School tragedy and how those approaches are being impacted by a post-9/11 world. He discussed the need for schools to communicate better with parents as well as with local and national governmental and law enforcement agencies. Luncheon sessions featured a keynote address by Deborah Prothrow-Stith, M.D. of the Harvard School of Public Health and a special presentation of the first Hamilton Fish Institute Violence Prevention Award to Glenn F. Ivey, state’s attorney for Prince George’s County for his work supporting violence prevention education. In addition to the keynote addresses, there were approximately 40 other presentations that were rated by attendees as useful, timely, and informative. New and improved e-mail service The Hamilton Fish Institute is pleased to restart its monthly news summaries. As some of you have let us know, our e-mail service was infected by a virus and many of you received repetitive e-mails announcing Persistently Safe Schools and last year’s gang conference. We have diligently tried to resolve the problem. To ensure the problem doesn’t happen with any future communications, and as a way of improving our service to you, we’ve contracted with an outside service that is guaranteed against viruses and that offers many new features we think you’ll find useful. One of the most exciting features is the ability to forward or recommend stories to your colleagues. Another great feature is that new readers can automatically sign up to receive news summaries and, just as easily, you can remove yourself from our list. Best of all, you can rest assured that our mail has been scanned and protected against viruses. Legal questions surround teen conspiracy case Conspiracy charges filed Thursday against three frustrated Pierce County teens who talked about taking over Spanaway Lake High School raise a legal question seldom explored in state courts. Exactly what must a few angry teenagers sitting around plotting and planning need to actually do to make their discussions a criminal conspiracy rather than a constitutionally protected fantasy? Student stabbed at bus stop A 16-year-old high school student is behind bars tonight after allegedly stabbing another student at a bus stop while waiting to go to school. School closed over racial tensions Racial tensions escalated at Wilmer Amena Carter High School for a second time in less a week, forcing officials to temporarily shut down the school. The high school [was] closed for the rest of the week. Blacks and Hispanics faced off with taunts at lunchtime and it escalated into a food-, bottle- and fist-throwing melee involving dozens of teenagers. Two girls injured with scissors in fight at Whitehaven High School Two 14-year-old girls were injured with a pair of scissors during a fight [December 3] at Whitehaven High School, Memphis police said. Both girls were in noncritical condition. A third girl, freshman Dovae Brinson, 14, was charged with aggravated assault in the melee. About school bullying … So what? There is, however, a gulf of difference between wanting to [get revenge on classmates that bullied you] and wanting to indiscriminately massacre a schoolyard full of people. It takes a special kind of arrogance, self-absorption and entitlement to believe that your humiliation and pain merit the lives of a dozen strangers. Of course, entitlement, self-absorption and arrogance are the unavoidable byproducts of a culture that teaches that shame is a four-letter word, boundaries are obsolete and self-gratification is life's highest purpose. Nationwide schools are getting tough on bullying Not long ago, bullying was often overlooked by teachers and parents, dismissed as a common, if painful, rite of passage along the bumpy road to adulthood. Now, school programs call for adults to take a tough stand on bullying and train students to intervene when a peer is bullied. School system hit with bullying lawsuit In a case that is among the first of its kind in Connecticut, an Old Greenwich couple has filed a lawsuit against the Greenwich Public Schools and several school administrators for failing to protect their daughter from excessive bullying over a period of several years. The lawsuit, filed [in December] in state Superior Court in Stamford by Theodore and Patrice Anibal on behalf of their daughter, accuses school officials of several counts of negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit also cites Connecticut's anti-bullying statute, a 2002 law that requires all public schools to establish plans to address bullying. Gang mentality Is recent school violence a flashback to 1970s street gangs? Or is it something more dangerous? … In the school police office, an officer sits watching the security camera feed on four television screens. Across the room, there is a bulletin board covered with newspaper clippings charting incidents of recent school violence. Moving beyond zero tolerance Fewer Indiana students are sitting out school as principals embrace alternatives to old-fashioned suspension and expulsion. Today's troublemakers scrub pen ink off bathroom walls, take random drug tests, answer to juvenile court officials -- even see anger management counselors. Many Indiana schools now give children second and third chances in an era when anti-bullying efforts and conflict resolution have trumped "zero tolerance" policies that arose after school shootings in the 1990s. (Article no longer available online. Please contact Allison Seale at aseale@hamfish.org for more information.) Zero tolerance makes zero sense Zero tolerance policies sometimes make zero sense. Take the recent case of Chloe Smith, 14, an eighth-grader in Mustang kicked out of school after drugs were found in her locker. Smith wasn’t in possession of marijuana or cocaine, but prescription hormones she takes for a chronic condition, polycystic ovarian disease. During a routine sweep of the school, a drug dog “hit” on her locker. Administrators checked and found the prescription hormones in her purse. Chloe has to take three different types of hormones to treat her disease. She must take the medication at different times during the day. She forgot to take the pills out of her purse after a family outing the evening before. But the Mustang school district has a no-tolerance drug policy, so Chloe Smith was suspended from school. National Honor Student Expelled from School Chris McCarthy said he didn't realize he had his fishing knife in his pocket until he was on the bus headed to school. Not wanting to throw out the present from his older brother, Conor, the 16-year-old Upper Moreland High School junior kept it hidden there until a school disciplinarian made him turn out his pockets later in the day. Upholding the district's zero tolerance policy, as required by the state, the school board went against the wishes of McCarthy's friends and family Tuesday and expelled the National Honor Society member and president of the junior class. (Article no longer available online. Please contact Allison Seale at aseale@hamfish.org for more information.) Philadelphia police chief and school leader apologize for schoolgirl's arrest and handcuffing over scissors The police chief and the head of the city's schools apologized Monday to the mother of a 10-year-old girl who was arrested and handcuffed after she brought a pair of scissors to school in her backpack. Although officers were following protocol when they drove the girl to a police station with her hands cuffed in front of her, discretion will be used in future cases involving young children, Police Chief Sylvester Johnson said. Student violations on the rise Colorado pupils got caught more often last year smoking, taking drugs, carrying weapons and being habitually disruptive at school. But they drank and fought less, according to a Rocky Mountain News analysis of 2003-2004 School Accountability Report data released earlier this month. The total number of discipline violations in all categories increased 4.7 percent to 118,044 over the year before. The biggest increase - 6 percent - was in the "other" category, which includes such violations as willful disobedience, defacement of school property and stealing. The number of fights and assaults dropped 20 percent, more than any other category. The overall increases outstripped enrollment growth, which increased 0.8 percent last year. That doesn't necessarily mean the state's schools are more drug-ridden or dangerous, educators said.
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Promising Practices for School-Based Gang Prevention & Intervention A unique opportunity for educators, administrators, school resource officers, counselors and others to showcase their successful gang prevention/intervention programs or to learn more about gangs and the impact they have on schools and youth from other professionals. For registration or more information, visit http://www.commonwealthtraining.com/ or e-mail kypti@aol.com. |
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Police start hotline to crack down on school violence Philadelphia police started a 24-hour hotline Monday to collect information about school violence. Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson said he will send plainclothes officers into schools to investigate phone tips. (Article no longer available online. Please contact Allison Seale at aliseal@hamfish.org for more information.) School Crime Rate Drops, Federal Report Says The rate of violent crime in public schools dropped 50 percent between 1992 and 2002, according to a study released last week by the U.S. departments of Education and Justice. School safety experts gave mixed reviews to the report. Some said the findings show that safety plans are working, while others in the field argued that the federal numbers greatly understate the extent of crime on K-12 campuses. Why school violence is declining Ever since Columbine, schools have been far more vigilant in responding, almost instantly, to violence. But it's their turn toward proactive, preventive approaches that may be paying off: A federal report released last week shows that non-fatal violence dropped dramatically between 1992 and 2002. While some data show an uptick since then, and a rise in school-related violent deaths for 2003-04, many laud schools' aggressive intervention on everything from bullying to bombs. |
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Girl gang violence on the rise Girl gangs have been on the rise for several years in the District and other cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia and New York, gang experts say. No one has been killed in girl gang confrontations in the District, but an escalation of gang-related violence in recent months has officials alarmed about the possibility. (Article no longer available online. Please contact Allison Seale at aliseal@hamfish.org for more information.) See next entry for related story with active link. Girls’ participation in gang activity up D.C. police are familiar with gangs, but there's a new twist to the people participating in many recent fights - they're girls. Gang experts tell The Washington Post that girl gangs have been on the rise for several years in the District and other cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia and New York. No one has been killed in girl gang confrontations in the District, but police are alarmed about an escalation of gang related violence in recent months. Teens may not show signs of suicidal behavior Ashley Willitts was only 16 when she killed herself in January 2002. Although she seemed happy, she was struggling in school. Her parents thought she was making As and Bs, but she was really failing her classes. And she exhibited none of the typical warning signs of suicide, said her mother, Kelley Willitts, 43, of Waldorf. Resource: On December 31, 2004, SAMHSA launched the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a network of local crisis centers located in communities across the country that are committed to suicide prevention. Callers to the hotline will receive suicide prevention counseling from trained staff at the closest certified crisis center in the network. This hotline is part of the National Suicide Prevention Initiative -- a collaborative effort led by SAMHSA that incorporates the best practices and research findings in suicide prevention and intervention, with the goal of reducing the incidence of suicide nationwide. School officer program popular with more districts The Columbine High School tragedy prompted school administrators across the country to re-evaluate school security, discipline policies and crisis plans. In the aftermath, the federal government also shelled out millions in grant dollars to pay for full-time police officers to patrol schools. Many police departments and school districts, including those in Washington County, took advantage of these opportunities to employ new school resource officers. But most of the grants are scheduled to expire soon or have expired, leaving the schools and their respective cities to work out a new agreement to pay the officers’ salaries and benefits. (Article no longer available online. Please contact Allison Seale at aliseal@hamfish.org for more information.) 12 Stabbed in latest China school attack A man forced his way into a primary school in northeast China Friday and stabbed and injured 12 grade-one pupils, the latest in a wave of recent school attacks in China, Xinhua news agency said. A series of attacks on schoolchildren in China in recent months have prompted schools in Beijing and other cities to recruit professional guards. (Article no longer available online. Please contact Allison Seale at aliseal@hamfish.org for more information.) Ontario teacher dies following school shooting Aysegul Candir, a 47-year-old Grade 10 teacher at the school, was shot several times in the parking lot outside Bramalea Secondary School Friday morning. She later died in hospital. Police have arrested the woman's husband, 62 year-old Erhun Candir, and charged him with murder. Police believe the shooting was part of a domestic dispute, and that the gunman never intended to harm any students. Principals letting armed and violent students off Metal detectors, fixtures in Philadelphia public schools for years, regularly catch students with knives, razor blades, banned scissors and other contraband. Some principals, however, are letting armed and violent students off easy, violating state law and school district policy and ignoring repeated warnings from schools CEO Paul Vallas that he'll fire principals who don't follow the law to the letter when reporting crime. Is a smaller school always a better school? School districts across the US are seizing on size as the key to reform. But some experts worry that the rush to create smaller schools is happening too fast. The case for school bus aides Imagine a classroom full of energetic little children in which the teacher constantly has her back to the class and is concentrating on working on a computer. That is roughly analogous to the situation on a school bus, as Mystic parent Brian Straub has pointed out. Mr. Straub has started lobbying to require monitors on school buses since his 5-year old son was struck by a bus after disembarking last month. It is something that Groton and other school districts should seriously consider. (Article no longer available online. Please contact Allison Seale at aseale@hamfish.org for more information.) Seat belts to be required on new school buses Starting in July, all new school buses in California will be required to have seat belts installed. But older buses now on the road will be exempt, and most safety officials say we should not be upset about this. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has long said school buses are the safest mode of transportation because of their size and design improvements over the past 25 years, even without seat belts. Christiana beefs up security at 8 schools The district has been dealing with a number of problems this year, including two recent fights between groups of students at Glasgow High School, one involving more than eight students. At Christiana High School, seven students were arrested in October for disorderly conduct. District officials said those incidents are partly why they are being more proactive toward security. (Article no longer available online. Please contact Allison Seale at aseale@hamfish.org for more information.) Security riddled schools more like correctional facilities Instead of making students feel safer, an education professor argues extreme surveillance makes them feel like criminals, writes Sarah Schmidt. … Many schools across the country are already implementing intrusive record-keeping policies and identification-verifying technologies, instituting increased surveillance to keep students safe. A flurry of recent attacks could entrench this particular approach to school security.
The Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence provides information, research, and support to make schools safer for high achievement. Surveillance cameras reduce vandalism at Tampere school The first cameras were set up in the schools of the centre of the city, and now they are being installed in all new schools, as well as old ones that are undergoing repairs. This year they have been introduced in about 20 schools.Officials say that installing cameras generally leads to a sharp reduction in vandalism. Technology connects schools to parents Colton Joint and Rialto unified school districts can reach 15,000 parents in less than 15 minutes after contracting with Connect-Ed Emergency Attendance and Public Interest Phone Notification Services. Rialto Unified used the emergency calling system to contact parents within hours of Tuesday's lunchtime brawl at Wilmer Amina Carter High. "It kind of eliminates the rumor mill,'” district spokeswoman Marilyn Cardosi said. (Article no longer available online. Please contact Allison Seale at aseale@hamfish.org for more information.) Massive wireless network may be net gain for schools Students trying to get out of classwork are going to need to get more creative than simply faking a sore throat. Homework assignments, class notes, lesson plans and other school material soon could be available from the beach to the shopping mall through a wireless broadband network that Broward school officials will begin testing next year. (Article no longer available online. Please contact Allison Seale at aseale@hamfish.org for more information.) |
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 The Hamilton Fish Institute | 2121 K Street NW, Suite 200 | Washington, DC 20037-1830 |
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March 21-23, 2005Page Updated: March 07, 2005
