@article{ref1,
title="Reducing the risks of firearm violence in high schools: principals' perceptions and practices",
journal="Journal of community health",
year="2015",
author="Price, James H. and Khubchandani, Jagdish and Payton, Erica and Thompson, Amy",
volume="41",
number="2",
pages="234-243",
abstract="This study assessed the perceptions and practices of a national sample of secondary school principals regarding reducing firearm violence in high schools. Data were collected via three-wave postal mailings. A 59-item valid and reliable questionnaire was mailed to a national random sample of 800 secondary school principals. Of the 349 principals (46 %) that responded, 17 % reported a firearm incident at their school in the past 5 years. Principals perceived inadequate parental monitoring (70 %), inadequate mental health services (64 %), peer harassment/bullying (59 %), and easy access to firearms (50 %) as the main causes of firearm violence in schools. The three barriers to implementing firearm violence prevention practices were: lack of expertise as to which practices to implement (33 %), lack of time (30 %), and lack of research as to which practices are most effective (30 %). Less than half of schools trained school personnel regarding firearm violence issues. The findings indicate that firearm incidents at schools may be more common than previously thought. A significant portion of principals are at a loss as to what to implement because of a lack of empirical evidence on what is effective. More research is needed to find the most effective school interventions for reducing firearm violence.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0094-5145",
doi="10.1007/s10900-015-0087-0",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10900-015-0087-0"
}