A View From Inside: Perspectnes Of School Violence From High School Students With A History Of Violent Behavior At School

Abstract

This study examined high school students' perspectives on school violence. Data were collected over three focus groups. Two of the groups were comprised of six students, all with a history of violent behaviors. The third focus group was comprised of six special education teachers. This study was conducted in part because of the dichotomy that existed between teachers and students perceptions of school violence in the literature. However, the results of this study indicated that participants in this particular study had consistent perceptions of school violence. Results of this study also indicated that the participants did not feel their school was a safe environment due to the frequency of bullying and fighting that occurred on campus. Both teachers and students agreed that the number one reason for fighting on campus was to demand respect from peers. Participants in all three groups also agreed that the crowds which surrounded fights served to exacerbate the problems. These findings are consistent with much of the current literature on violence prevention, and indicate a continued need for more research in this area.