Teachers and parents today have similar goals in the education of our nations children, and they also have many of the same concerns. Recent studies have shown that when asked, most parents will say that discipline is their biggest concern in the public school system. When that answer is investigated, it appears to be a lack of discipline, rather than the type or severity of punishment that is most troubling. Unfortunately, a number of state and federal laws have been enacted to seriously limit a school’s power in dealing with troubled children. This has caused a number of changes in the way that administrators can enforce and even enact policies concerning appropriate and safe behavior.

One of the most important of these laws is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975​. This law ensures that all students should have access to a free and appropriate education, and was originally intended to support students with physical disabilities like loss of hearing or sight. However, the meaning of the word “disability” has been greatly expanded in the last four decades to include those with learning, mental and emotional disabilities. For this reason, schools are unable to cull emotionally troubled children from the general population. This has resulted in schools that are much more unruly, much less controlled and much less safe for all children.

Federal Supreme Court decision such as Tinker vs. Des Moines School District have also had a huge impact on how schools can and cannot handle difficult children. Because the court ruled that neither teachers nor students surrender their Constitutional rights to free speech upon entering school grounds, children are now able to get away with much more in the way of disrespectful and disruptive speech and actions. These changes in the way that school administrators can handle their students have caused many more problems than they could have ever hoped to solve.

When troubled children are the perpetrators of violence on public school property, who is responsible? That is the question that has been at the heart of a number of incidents in recent years. Unfortunately, there is rarely a clear answer. Teachers and administrators undoubtedly have a responsibility to ensure that public schools are safe and conducive to effective learning, but just how far they can go to achieve those goals is not so clear. Because of certain state and federal laws, and specific policies in school districts, many administrators are unable to enact procedures to remove problem students from their institutions.

With this in mind, it is important for all teachers and public school administrators to understand their own responsibilities in the issue. When a student is believed to be emotionally or mentally troubled, exhibits dangerous behavior or has an attitude reflecting the possibility of that behavior, teachers have a responsibility to report the situation to their supervisors and also to the parents of the children in question. Administrators must then make the call on when use disciplinary tools like in- or out-of-school suspension or expulsion. They must also work closely with teachers in order to determine when the appropriate law enforcement officials should be brought in.

The best thing that those working within the American public school system can do to fulfill their responsibilities in the realm of student violence is to be aware of what is going on with all of their students. Who is being picked on? Who is suddenly showing a change in attitude or mood? Which students do the other seem to be avoiding, or be afraid of? Because so much of school violence is foreseeable, the answers to these questions can help point teachers in the right direction and hopefully head off any violent behaviors before they are even exhibited.

The thought of violence in the American Public School system usually brings to mind images of Columbine or the Virginia Tech massacre, however, large scale murderers are not the only – even the most likely – perpetrators of violence in schools. There are a number of different types of violence in schools, ranging in severity and with very different motivations. One of the simplest types of school violence is in ordinary bullying. Bullies will typically single out victims that they perceive to be weak and easy targets. Their primary motivation in this type of behavior is to create both a feeling and an external perception of power. For instance, picking on one small, weak child may cause the entire class to fear them. Sometimes bullying is done as a group. This type of intimidation is usually so that the bullies can feel superior to individuals or other groups of children.

Of course, not all school violence is committed by students. Teachers, staff members and administrators have been found guilty of violent behavior, either toward students or other adults. Unfortunately, these instances are not as often publicized as those between students. Many children are also unlikely to report violence at the hands of an adult, making it much more difficult to curtail that behavior and get help for the victim in question.

F​inally sexual assault, abuse or harassment may also been seen as a type of school violence. When this occurs between peers it is horrible enough, but when a child is the victim of sexual violence at the hands of an adult, if becomes an extremely difficult problem. Not only will the child fear reprisal, but because children are advised to tell a parent, teacher or clergy member when they are abused, he or she will also be effectively cut off from one of the best sources of help.

Creating a policy on violence is one of the most demanding duties a school administrator may encounter during his or her tenure. Because of high-profile events like those at Columbine in 1999, Santana High in 2001, and the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, having a defined set of procedures and policies in place for acts of violence is essential. One of the most important policies that a school should institute is the training of teachers and administrators to recognize signs of impending violent acts by students. Experts now believe that most perpetrators of school violence planned their actions in great detail, and that many of these students had suffered from depression and  lack of anger management. The students were also more likely to have been victims of violence at home or peer bullying.

It is imperative that schools take any and all acts and threats of violence seriously. In addition, the topic should be broached often and students should be encouraged to report violence and threats without fear of repercussion. Administrators should make it clear that any property brought onto the school grounds is subject to search and seizure, and that weapons and toy replicas were strictly forbidden. This should include lockers, backpacks, and vehicles driven to the school and parked on school lots.

Policies for dealing with students who exhibit a tendency for violence should include not only those that protect the student body at large, but also help for the offending teen. Suspension and expulsion may prevent violent acts from one individual within one school, but neglecting to address the larger problems that violent kids are experiencing is a mistake that could have dire consequences. Close communication with teachers, parents and counselors, along with the students, can help to prevent school violence and identify those who are at risk of committing violent acts.

W​hile the short-term effects for victims are largely the same, there is often a difference in the motivation behind violent youths. While some may argue it is human nature to be afraid or distrustful of those who are different, there is little reason for this behavior to be tolerated in our schools. While many kids who are guilty of bullying grow up to be well-adjusted members of society, those who are guilty of hate crimes may only get worse. The reason for this is that for the most part, hate crimes are about identifying characteristics over which people have no control. For instance, crimes perpetuated on those because of their gender, race, skin color or sexual preference are thought of as hate crimes, whereas the same types of behavior toward those deemed “uncool,” “weird,” or just unpopular are just old-fashioned bullying. Understanding the difference can help combat both types of student violence.

D​iversity should be made a frequent topic of discussion in schools, especially in those where the population may not be as even dispersed between races. Stereotypical and prejudicial remarks should never be tolerated and teachers should take immediate steps to address that type of behavior in their students. In addition, teachers should avoid forcing students to interact with others while unsupervised. This is often the first step in targeting their victims for bullies. When students are required to work with others outside of their own social groups, it should always be with frequent teacher involvement. This will work to ensure that children are more accepting of those who appear to be different, as well as teaching them that avoiding others is not an option in a progressive society.

​Although hate crimes and bullying may often have the same result, understanding the difference in the motivation may help to combat both types of school violence. Also, it should be understood that under most states’ laws, the punishment for hate crimes is much more severe.