Causes Of School Violence

According to 2011 census data, over 4 million children are left at home with no supervision for over six hours every week on average (Gottfredson, Gottfredson, & Weisman, 2001). Approximately 69% of married families with children between age 6 and 17 years old have both parents working outside the home. In families with only a single mother, 71% work outside the home, and in single father families, 85% of the fathers with children between the ages of 6 and 17 years old work outside the home (Gottfredson et al, 2001). Children who are left alone before and after school are often left to care for themselves while their parent(s) work. This population of children has become known as latchkey kids. The term, latchkey was coined in the 1940s …show more content…
School violence is defined as youth violence that occurs on school property, on the way to or from school, and during school sponsored events. Behaviors unique to school violence are bullying, pushing and shoving which leads to fighting, gangs, physical and verbal assaults (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016). This has become problematic for two reasons. The first is because youth who are the victims not only will sustain physical injuries, but will also undergo other negative health behaviors such as alcohol and drug use, suicide, depression, anxiety, and other psychological problems (CDC, 2016). The second reason school violence is problematic is because of the risks associated with youth who are the perpetrators. Youth who initiates negative school behaviors usually has a prior history of violence, drugs, alcohol, or tobacco use, poor grades, and a dysfunctional family setting (CDC, …show more content…
As a result, various programs and approaches have been implemented to combat delinquency. Theories of crime and crime causation exist not only for adults, but for youth also, several theories exist explaining why juveniles participate in delinquent behavior (Merlo, Benekos, & Champion, 2016). A distinction should be made between juvenile delinquents and another group of youth behaving contrary to the norm known as status offenders. The distinction is critical because status offenders, because of their conduct and type of offenses committed are not institutionalized or treated the same as juvenile delinquents (Merlo et al., 2016). A status offender is someone charged with an offense that would not be a crime if committed by an adult. Offenses such as truancy, running away, ungovernability, violating curfew, and violating underage liquor laws are among the violations designated as status offenses (Merlo et al., 2016). A juvenile delinquent on the other hand is anyone under the age of majority who has committed one or more acts that would be a crime if committed by an adult (Merlo et al.,