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Abstract
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VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
This article by Nuttall and Kalesnik examined interpersonal violence in schools and the ways in which school counselors can become more actively involved as consultants and/or direct care providers.
METHODOLOGY:
The authors employed a non-experimental review of counseling literature from the last 20 years in an attempt to identify characteristics of schools and sociocultural factors that accompany and contribute to the problem of violence and which influence the role of the school counselor. The authors hypothesized that counselors are not involved with the problem because they do not see dealing with violence as one of their duties, because they are not trained to deal with violence, and because many schools instruct counselors to avoid the issue because they do not want to draw attention to the problem.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
Interpersonal violence in schools was found to be linked to several factors in schools themselves as well as factors within the larger sociocultural system. The authors found that violence occurred most often in urban schools, among students of the same race and sex, and that it was related to changes in family roles such as divorce, child abuse, or unemployment. The authors found that as consultants, counselors could work with teachers and other professionals in implementing skills training programs for students aimed at reducing aggression and violence. Counselors could also work with parents and community leaders to begin programs like The Helping Hand Program which teaches children to look for houses displaying a red hand in their window if they are ever threatened or feel scared. The authors also found that counselors acting as consultants could work with administrators by giving direction about problem locations on campus as well as potential security systems. It was also found that counselors could provide direct service in the form of individual and small-group counseling with both student offenders and victims. These sessions could be directed toward both intervention and prevention.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
Because interpersonal violence in the schools has been found to be the result of several different factors, the authors suggested that counselors' solutions should be individually tailored to each school, community, and group of students. They suggested that counselors should assess their own situation, and implement a program that meets their specific needs. The authors proposed that all counselors should receive more training in crisis intervention techniques as well as in preventative and remedial approaches to violence.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
School Personnel
Mental Health Personnel Role
School Violence
Violence Intervention
Violence Prevention
School Counselor
Juvenile Offender
Juvenile Violence
Child Offender
Child Violence
09-99 |