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Abstract
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VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this article by Soriano et al. was to identify the social, economic, and cultural factors associated with school violence among diverse populations of youth.
METHODOLOGY:
The authors employed a non-experimental research design in this article. Recommendations and conclusions were based on a review of literature in the area of school violence.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The authors asserted that Latino and African-American youth are more likely to be involved in school violence than their white peers. They argued that culture and cultural memberships do not explain the differences, rather, they suggest that different social contexts afford easier access to violence to some groups while excluding others.
It was stated that the demographics of American society are changing, particularly in that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of certain racial and ethnic minorities. It was found, for example, that the number of Latinos/Hispanics increased by 53% between 1980 and 1990. The authors asserted that these demographic changes are increasing the potential for conflict in schools. It was found that black and Hispanic youth were involved in significantly more school violence than white youth. Additionally, it was noted that Hispanic male students in grades 9-12 reported carrying weapons to school more frequently than their black and white peers.
The authors argued that schools today are facing many new challenges. For example, it was posited that schools are becoming increasingly diverse, both linguistically and culturally. It was also suggested that schools are changing in structure, such as the way they are governed, as well as undergoing changes in function, in that schools are expected to provide social services and counseling in addition to education. The authors stated that racism and hate crimes are prevalent in schools and in the larger society, presenting a further challenge to schools. Another challenge, according to the authors, was found in the changes in American family life. They argued that parental involvement in children's schooling is no longer a given, citing the dramatic increases in single-parent headed households and the number of mothers in the labor force. They argued that this environment leaves children largely unattended and fosters an ever-growing underclass with a potential for violence.
It was posited that children from diverse cultural backgrounds are often avoided or treated with hostility in American schools. For this reason, it was argued that youth from minority culture backgrounds have more potential for involvement in conflicts. The authors posited that culture can influence one's social risks in two distinct ways: by protecting the youth with a support system, positive sense of self, and a pattern of norms and values to follow, or, by failing to protect its members against risk factors and allowing its members to become assimilated into marginal subcultures of the mainstream culture. It was argued that the result of the former is a student who can successfully achieve economic and social status, while the consequence of the latter is a student filled with frustration and rage, which can be internalized or directed towards others in the form of violence. It was recommended that schools focus on the cultural backgrounds of their students in school violence prevention and intervention efforts by involving parents, families and communities, in addition to creating positive peer networks for students. The authors further recommended that school psychologists learn to communicate verbally and nonverbally in the affective language of the at-risk youth.
The authors presented a diagram to illustrate the relationship between students culture and the schools culture. They argued that children may either assimilate into the school culture by integrating or "melting into" that culture, or acculturate by adjusting their own values and beliefs. It was suggested that older children are more likely to retain elements of their culture by acculturating, while younger children are more likely to assimilate.
The authors asserted that one's view of the world is influenced by several elements which are linked to culture, and gave recommendations for school psychologists for dealing with these elements. For example, it was recommended that school psychologists recognize the different kin relationships of their students to gain a better understanding of the influences in their lives. The authors recommended that school psychologists recognize that students learn their values, beliefs and attitudes from their family and that they try to work with the family in educating the child. It was recommended that psychologists learn about the economic conditions of their students as well, for they may discover that their students bear the burden of providing, or helping to provide, for their families and extended families. The authors suggested that faced with this poverty and pressure from their families the potential for violence increases. It was further recommended that school psychologists learn about the family politics in the home of the ethnic minority student, for example, learning about authority, decision-making, and power in the youths family. They argued that certain family dynamics may lead children to become frustrated and angry and more likely to engage in conflicts. The authors suggested that the different religious beliefs and practices of students must also be considered, for it was argued that religion is often an important form of support for students. The authors further recommended that psychologists learn about the minority youth's association with or isolation from his or her community. For example, they suggested that African-American culture is focused on relationships with others, not the self, and that this may explain the strong pull towards gangs among African-American males. It was suggested that school psychologists conduct home visits to learn about the degree to which their students have assimilated or become acculturated to the dominant culture. It was also recommended that school psychologists learn about the concepts of health and well-being among their minority culture students. It was argued that students from all cultural backgrounds must be taught that violence is a health issue which affects the most vulnerable members of the community. Further, it was suggested that educators stress that devaluing students native culture and language will be viewed as a form of violence and will not be condoned. Finally, it was recommended that school psychologists recognize the importance of language in the transmission of culture, and that linguistic diversity be valued accordingly.
The authors concluded that students of color are disproportionately involved in school violence both as perpetrators and as victims. They argued that most efforts to reduce, prevent, or intervene in school violence neglect the social and cultural backgrounds of the students involved. They argued that the special needs of students of color can best be met when these differences are recognized.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
School Violence
Student Violence
Juvenile Offender
Juvenile Violence
Juvenile Victim
Sociocultural Factors
Socioeconomic Factors
Violence Causes
Demographic Factors
Racial Factors
Racism
Prejudice
Class Factors
Racial Differences
School Mental Health
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