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Research Question: How does school culture impact violence?

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Research Question: How does school culture impact violence?

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Investigate the role of school environment in preventing violence:
- Inclusive culture development
- Student engagement programs
- Teacher-student relationships
- Extracurricular activities
- Positive behavior reinforcement

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We can all remember childhood moments when we felt particularly safe (or unsafe) in school, when we felt particularly connected to a caring adult (or frighteningly alone), when we felt particularly engaged in meaningful learning (or not). These are the school memories that we all tend to vividly remember: good and/or bad. It is not surprising that these kinds of experiences shape learning and development.

However, school climate is larger than any one person's experience. When people work together, a group process emerges that is bigger that any one person's actions. A comprehensive assessment of school climate includes major spheres of school life such as safety, relationships, teaching and learning, and the environment as well as larger organizational patterns (e.g. from fragmented to shared; healthy or unhealthy). How we feel about being in school and these larger group trends shape learning and student development. Peer-reviewed educational research has consistently demonstrated that a positive school climate is associated with academic achievement, effective risk prevention efforts and positive youth development.

How do we define School Climate?

School climate refers to the quality and character of school life. School climate is based on patterns of students', parents' and school personnel's experience of school life and reflects norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures.

A sustainable, positive school climate fosters youth development and learning necessary for a productive, contributing and satisfying life in a democratic society. This climate includes:

Norms, values and expectations that support people feeling socially, emotionally and physically safe.

People are engaged and respected.

Students, families and educators work together to develop, live and contribute to a shared school vision.

Educators model and nurture attitudes that emphasize the benefits and satisfaction gained from learning.

Each person contributes to the operations of the school and the care of the physical environment.

(This definition of school climate and a positive, sustained school climate were consensually developed by the National School Climate Council.)
Key School Climate Dimensions

There is not a national consensus about what school climate dimensions are essential to assess. Synthesizing past school climate research as well as NSCC's research efforts, the National School Climate Council and NSCC suggest that there are four major areas that school climate assessment needs to include: Safety, Relationships, Teaching and Learning and the external environment. Each of these areas includes a series of sub scales of indicators. To learn about these sub scales and indicators, click here.

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What is School Climate and Why is it Important? - National School Climate Centre

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We can all remember childhood moments when we felt particularly safe (or unsafe) in school, when we felt particularly connected to a caring adult (or frighteningly alone), when we felt particularly engaged in meaningful learning (or not). These are the school memories that we all tend to vividly remember: good and/or bad.

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Research Question: How has cyberbullying changed school violence?

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Research Question: How has cyberbullying changed school violence?

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Investigate how social media and digital communication have influenced school violence. Consider:
- The connection between in-person and online bullying
- Impact of 24/7 connectivity on student mental health
- Different forms of cyberbullying
- Effectiveness of current prevention programs

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This section pulls together fundamental information about bullying, including:

Definition of Bullying

In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Department of Education released the first federal definition of bullying. The definition includes three core elements:

unwanted aggressive behavior

observed or perceived power imbalance

repetition or high likelihood of repetition of bullying behaviors

This definition helps determine whether an incident is bullying or another type of aggressive behavior or both.

Research on Bullying

Bullying prevention is a growing research field that investigates the complexities and consequences of bullying. Important areas for more research include:

Prevalence of bullying in schools

Prevalence of cyberbullying in online spaces

How bullying affects people

Risk factors for people who are bullied, people who bully others, or both

How to prevent bullying

How media and media coverage affects bullying

What We've Learned about Bullying

Bullying affects all youth, including those who are bullied, those who bully others, and those who witness bullying. The effects of bullying may continue into adulthood.

There is not a single profile of a young person involved in bullying. Youth who bully can be either well connected socially or marginalized, and may be bullied by others as well. Similarly, those who are bullied sometimes bully others.

Solutions to bullying are not simple. Bullying prevention approaches that show the most promise confront the problem from many angles. They involve the entire school community-students, families, administrators, teachers, and staff such as bus drivers, nurses, cafeteria and front office staff-in creating a culture of respect. Zero tolerance and expulsion are not effective approaches.

Bystanders, or those who see bullying, can make a huge difference when they intervene on behalf of someone being bullied.

Studies also have shown that adults can help prevent bullying by talking to children about bullying, encouraging them to do what they love, modeling kindness and respect, and seeking help.

Bullying Statistics

Here are federal statistics about bullying in the United States. Data sources include the Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2019 (National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice) and the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

How Common Is Bullying

About 20% of students ages 12-18 experienced bullying nationwide.

Students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied said they thought those who bullied them:

Had the ability to influence other students' perception of them (56%).

Had more social influence (50%).

Were physically stronger or larger (40%).

Had more money (31%).

Bullying in Schools

Nationwide, 19% of students in grades 9-12 report being bullied on school property in the 12 months prior to the survey.

The following percentages of students ages 12-18 had experienced bullying in various places at school:

Hallway or stairwell (43.4%)

Classroom (42.1%)

Cafeteria (26.8%)

Outside on school grounds (21.9%)

Online or text (15.3%)

Bathroom or locker room (12.1%)

Somewhere else in the school building (2.1%)

Approximately 46% of students ages 12-18 who were bullied during the school year notified an adult at school about the bullying.

Cyberbullying

Among students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, 15 % were bullied online or by text.

An estimated 14.9% of high school students were electronically bullied in the 12 months prior to the survey.

Types of Bullying

Students ages 12-18 experienced various types of bullying, including:

Being the subject of rumors or lies (13.4%)

Being made fun of, called names, or insulted (13.0%)

Pushed, shoved, tripped, or spit on (5.3%)

Leaving out/exclusion (5.2%)

Threatened with harm (3.9%)

Others tried to make them do things they did not want to do (1.9%)

Property was destroyed on purpose (1.4%)

State and Local Statistics

Follow these links for state and local figures on the following topics:

International Statistics

According to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics:

One third of the globe's youth is bullied; this ranges from as low as 7% in Tajikistan to 74% in Samoa.

Low socioeconomic status is a main factor in youth bullying within wealthy countries.

Immigrant-born youth in wealthy countries are more likely to be bullied than locally-born youth.

Bullying and Suicide

The relationship between bullying and suicide is complex. The media should avoid oversimplifying these issues and insinuating or directly stating that bullying can cause suicide. The facts tell a different story. It is not accurate and potentially dangerous to present bullying as the "cause" or "reason" for a suicide, or to suggest that suicide is a natural response to bullying.

Research indicates that persistent bullying can lead to or worsen feelings of isolation, rejection, exclusion, and despair, as well as depression and anxiety, which can contribute to suicidal behavior.

The vast majority of young people who are bullied do not become suicidal.

Most young people who die by suicide have multiple risk factors.

For more information on the relationship between bullying and suicide, read "The Relationship Between Bullying and Suicide: What We Know and What it Means for Schools" from the CDC.

Anti-Bullying Laws

All states have anti-bullying legislation. When bullying is also harassment and happens in the school context, schools have a legal obligation to respond to it according to federal laws.

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This section pulls together fundamental information about bullying.

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Suggested methods to gather information:
1. Survey students about their online experiences
2. Analyze school incident reports
3. Interview school counselors
4. Review current school policies
5. Examine case studies of cyberbullying incidents

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Research Question: What security measures are most effective?

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Research Question: What security measures are most effective?

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Examine the effectiveness of various school security measures:
- Metal detectors
- Security cameras
- School resource officers
- Access control systems
- Emergency response protocols

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National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) - Publications & Products

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Product information and search tools. Find information, locate, learn how to order, and browse the content of NCES publications or download data files.

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Research methods to consider:
1. Compare security systems across different schools
2. Analyze cost vs. effectiveness
3. Study impact on school climate
4. Review incident prevention statistics
5. Evaluate student and staff feedback

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Research Question: How does mental health support or prevent violence?

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Research Question: How does mental health support or prevent violence?

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Research the relationship between mental health services and violence prevention:
- School counseling programs
- Early intervention strategies
- Warning signs identification
- Support systems effectiveness
- Community mental health partnerships

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Implementing School-Based Mental Health Services: A Scoping Review of the Literature Summarizing the Factors That Affect Implementation

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Background: Mental illness in children and youths has become an increasing problem. School-based mental health services (SBMHS) are an attempt to increase accessibility to mental health services. The effects of these services seem positive, with…

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Places to find valuable information:
1. School counseling department statistics
2. Mental health organization reports
3. Academic studies on prevention
4. Student support program evaluations
5. Expert interviews with school psychologists

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Ways to gather cultural impact data:
1. School climate surveys
2. Discipline record analysis
3. Student focus groups
4. Teacher observations
5. Parent feedback collection

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Research Question: Do SEL lessons have a desirable impact on student behavior?

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Research Question: Do SEL lessons have a desirable impact on student behavior?

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How Do We Get Started?

Attending a RULER training is the first step for schools (preK-12) looking to implement RULER. Our training institutes focus on building a growth mindset and common language around emotions, skill development in emotional intelligence, and the building and sustaining of positive social and emotional climates where all stakeholders in the school feel empowered to learn, work, and achieve.

Apply to a RULER Institute training

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Attending a RULER training is the first step for schools (preK-12) looking to implement RULER. Our training institutes focus on building a growth mindset and common language around emotions, skill development in emotional intelligence, and the building and sustaining of positive social and emotional climates where all stakeholders in the school feel empowered to learn, work, and achieve.

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Research Question: Could Restorative Practices have a positive impact on school culture and safety?

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Research Question: Could Restorative Practices have a positive impact on school culture and safety?

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The Practices

The Practices of a Restorative School are formal and informal practices that transfer the restorative mindset into the daily lived experiences of school. Specifically, the practices include but are not limited to:

Practices that develop the restorative mindset:

Build community among adults

Examine your own relationship to harm

Explore implicit bias, historical trauma and resilience

Practices that build community:

Empathetic communication, which includes listening with care and curiosity, and speaking using the language of feeling, of empathy

Circles to build and maintain relationships, to teach, to meet, to problem-solve, to provide ongoing support

Practices that respond to harm:

Restorative questions used in a chat or conversations with one or two people

Circle or conferencing with a group of people affected by harm, using the restorative questions.

These practices are used to build healthy relationships and to create community in school, develop a positive school climate, prevent bullying and harm, and help repair harm. Restorative practices apply equally to everyone in the school community: students, adults, families and community members.

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What are Restorative Practices?

Restorative practices (RP) are drawn from the traditions of Indigenous people and communities of color around the world. They are grounded in a belief that people are profoundly relational, interconnected and inherently good. Restorative practices include ways of creating community that honors the importance of relationships amongst all members in the community; as well as practices to repair relationships when harm has been caused. RP address the needs all people impacted by the harm.

By using restorative practices in the school, people get to know one another and build relationships with each other, which is key element to learning, bullying prevention, and creating a positive school climate for students and adults. Key principles guide the practices.

The Practices of a Restorative School are formal and informal practices that transfer the restorative mindset into the daily lived experiences of school. Specifically, the practices include but are not limited to:

Practices that develop the restorative mindset:

Build community among adults

Examine your own relationship to harm

Explore implicit bias, historical trauma and resilience

Practices that build community:

Empathetic communication, which includes listening with care and curiosity, and speaking using the language of feeling, of empathy

Circles to build and maintain relationships, to teach, to meet, to problem-solve, to provide ongoing support

Practices that respond to harm:

Restorative questions used in a chat or conversations with one or two people

Circle or conferencing with a group of people affected by harm, using the restorative questions.

These practices are used to build healthy relationships and to create community in school, develop a positive school climate, prevent bullying and harm, and help repair harm. Restorative practices apply equally to everyone in the school community: students, adults, families and community members.

Restorative Mindset

Restorative practices are based in the belief that all people are worthy and relational, that "all humans have gifts and everyone is needed for what they bring."(1) Supporting this mindset of interconnectedness and relationships is an awareness and understanding of trauma, the impact of racism and implicit bias in our daily interactions. The development of a includes reflection upon and knowledge about power, privilege, history, race, justice and language.(2)

Implementing Restorative Practices in Schools

The Minnesota Department of Education developed Restorative Practices Implementation Guidance to provide school districts and schools with guidance and resources to help them integrate restorative practices into schoolwide climate, discipline, equity, and teaching and learning practices.

Administrator's Checklist for RP Implementation

Circle Outlines for Adult Learning

Restorative Practices in Schools Program Directory

Restorative Practices in Schools Videos

Restorative Practices in Schools Books and Manuals

Restorative Practices in Schools Websites

Restorative Interventions for Bullying Toolkit

Restorative Approach to Mask-Wearing
Talking About Masks and Kindness
Holding a Virtual Gathering Using Circle Principles
Staff Support Sessions
Contributors

Members of the Circle Advisory Team provided language, insight, recommendations and comment to the development of this document. Minnesota Department of Education staff also contributed to the development of these documents.

References

Boyes-Watson, C., and Pranis, K. (2015) Circle Forward: Building a Restorative School Community. Living Justice Press, St. Paul, MN.

(2)Winn, M. (2018). Justice on Both Sides: Transforming Education Through Restorative Justice Harvard Educational Press, Cambridge, MA.

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Restorative practices (RP) are drawn from the traditions of Indigenous people and communities of color around the world. They are grounded in a belief that people are profoundly relational, interconnected and inherently good. Restorative practices include ways of creating community that honors the importance of relationships amongst all members in the community; as well as practices to repair relationships when harm has been caused.