Site

How can students contribute in preventing school violence

Acts of violence committed by students in school is more popularly known as school violence.  The main factors that cause students to act this way is because of severe stress, depression, peer pressure, and other types of problems.  The increase in school violence today is due to the fact that today’s school environment is more competitive, demanding and stressful.

Students themselves are able to prevent school violence.  Here are some things a student can do to contribute to the fight against school violence.

·         Share problems and provide solutions – It is advisable that students share their difficulties with others.  This way, the burden will be lighter and that they will get a chance to get the opinion of others as to how they can resolve it without resulting to violence. 

·         Tell the harmful effects of violence – Students might also tell others about the harmful effects violent behavior have.  This way, other students who are about do such acts will be discouraged, and violent students might realize that what they are doing is wrong and will change the way he behaves.

·         Cooperation – Cooperating with everyone is a good thing.  Students who feel that teachers and their classmate are willing to cooperate in solving any problem tend to be more docile and refrain from violent actions.  Also, students are encouraged to cooperate with students who are acting violently in an effort to let them feel that they are not alone in facing their problems.

·         Meditation – Meditation definitely helps in relaxing the mind and the body.  This releases the tension and stress that has been building up.

·         Encourage hobbies – encouraging certain hobbies to your friends and other students enables them to release stress in a more positive way.  Hobbies takes up some time and gets a person preoccupied while concentrating on his hobby.  This way, their concentration and attention is on doing the hobby, and not through doing any kind of violent activity. 

·         Discourage any kind of violent games – by encouraging their peers to play games that does not contain any kind of violence, they are influencing them to reduce or eliminate their violent attitude.

·         Inform immediately – once a student observes other students to be behaving in a violent way, or that they are planning to do violent acts against someone, it is their duty to inform teachers or any school official about it.

·         Suspicious weapon – every student that observes that other students have suspicious weapons in their possession should notify school officials immediately.

·         Problem with studies – a student who has problems with his studies more often than not leads to violent behavior.  In order to prevent such things from happening, each student is responsible in helping out other students who are doing poorly when it comes to their studies.  This way, incidents of school violence are lessened.

·         Seek external help – if a friend is experiencing any kind of stress, or is faced with problem it is your responsibility to provide him with support, guidance and advice.  If warranted, you may also refer him to seek professional help from psychiatrists or counselors.