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What Parents Can Do About Violence

NCJ Number
177724
Date Published
1999
Length
2 pages
Annotation
Parents can take steps with their children and schools to help address the problem of school violence.
Abstract
Parents must assume responsibility for managing and teaching their children in such a way that the children do not resort to violence as a means of handling conflict and frustration. Parents should remove firearms from the house or at least ensure that they are securely locked and stored separately from ammunition. Parents must act as role models in settling personal and family conflicts through the management of anger and without violence. Parents should listen to and talk regularly with their children about what may be bothering them. Clear limits should be set for behavior in advance, together with a discussion of punishments ad rewards. Children should know that their parents will not tolerate violent behavior. Further, parents should teach their children how to solve problems without resorting to aggression and violence. Parents should discourage name-calling and teasing; insist on knowing children's friends and activities away from home; work with other parents to develop standards for school- related events and activities; and talk with other parents and school officials about how to prevent and deal with violent behavior by youth. This paper also outlines questions parents can ask about their children's schools to determine whether school conditions and climate are conducive to constructive student-to-student and teacher-to-student interactions.