Preventing Violence Now and Later

Violence-prevention programs in schools can yield positive changes in student behavior. But the real payoff for these programs may be long after students leave school, said Cheryl Vince Whitman, director of Health & Human Development Programs.

“The research citing the success of school-based programs is significant because it shows that preventing violence is possible,” said Vince Whitman. “These programs may stop students from acting violently in school, but the lessons they teach can have a lasting impression years from now when those students are in the workplace or at home,” she said.

The success of school-based violence prevention can be seen worldwide, said Vince Whitman after returning from an international conference hosted this fall by the European Centre for Conflict Prevention and Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO. In eight countries, violence-prevention programs carried out in schools resulted in improved student social skills, more self control and higher academic achievement, she said.

Schools have stepped up their attention to violence prevention, Vince Whitman said. They are tackling these issues head on by teaching students how to resolve conflicts and how to stop others from bullying. Helping students to learn these skills can make for safer, more caring school environments, she said.

But to make these programs truly successful, schools must strive to become “Health-Promoting Schools,” as defined by the World Health Organization’s 1995 Global School Health Initiative (http://www.who.int/school_youth_health/gshi/en/). “Health-Promoting Schools,” which work continually to strengthen their capacity as healthy settings for living, learning, and working, are a vital part of in the WHO effort to improve the health and overall well-being of students, families, and communities around the world, she says. “Of all the factors that play a role, a positive school environment that gives students the feeling they belong and the feeling that adults care is the most important.”

Strong policies and consistent enforcement of rules help guide educational approaches to violence and conflict resolution, she said. But positive messages need to be consistent and reinforced within families and communities.

“If a child learns violence and intolerance at home, it’s hard to erase those values when he walks into his classroom,” Vince Whitman said. “If we can reach the future generation of parents, we might be able to make a difference.”