Remember back in the day when a fight would break out and everyone would rush to see but only the two people fighting would get involved? People wanted to see what was going on, but there was a code of ethics that you didn't double-team a person and you didn't pick up someone else's battle if it didn't have anything to do with you.
Kids had fights, pulled hair, kicked, scratched and punched, but when the teacher or coach or principal came to break up the fight no one was left dead on the ground and often when it was a fair fight, that was the last you would hear of it except for the trouble with the principal for getting into a fight in the first place.
Today, the classroom in many schools is the place where students decide to take matters into their own hands. They retaliate against other students for any action they feel was unjust and for any reason, from simple dislike, to gossip, to rival gang members.This is not to suggest that every classroom is a war zone and that no student can safely go to school and get an education. However, it is to suggest that school violence has continued to increase and that many are being harmed by this senseless violence.
Finger pointers are quick to blame television with the increased violence that is portrayed in programming, even for small children. Cartoon villains with a vendetta for blood and plans to destroy the world are prime time viewing choices on channels that are supposed to be kid-friendly.Although parental guidance should dictate whether or not these programmes are appropriate for children of a certain age, this is not always the case.
Many believe that the increase in violence in the schools is a direct result of the increase in violence on television.Television alone cannot be blamed for school violence any more than students can be considered the only ones who are harmed by the violent acts that happen in and around schools.The truth of the matter is that students are being affected negatively by the violence because the majority of it is aimed at them or students they know.
Students, though, are not the only ones being harmed, particularly when the violence results in permanent injury or death.Perhaps the most important way to help your child avoid school violence is by showing them loving and peaceful solutions to their problems; encouraging them to partake in religious activities that will aid the development of spiritual and morals values.Try to lead by non-violent example which does not involve being a pushover but by using logic and constructive ways to deal with problems that arise.
Check your child's school bag regularly and observe their behavioural patterns. Make sure that you are aware of your child and don't ignore changes in behaviour–that may be the first sign that there is some violence taking place at school.Let them know that if they are being subjected to violence, you are there to help resolve the issue right away. Regularly check with your child's school to see what measures are in place to assist children who are subjected to violence.
Parents should maintain a healthy rapport with teachers and make regular visits to the child's school. Indeed, all stakeholders need to come together and put all hands on deck with a view to finding lasting solutions to this horrible menace that is turning to be a nightmare, and timely intervention is the only solution to this.
Alicia Giles
Mc Bean, Couva