Executive Summary
The full text of this public domain publication is available at the Department's home
page at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/earlywrn.html.
Although most schools are safe, the violence that occurs in our neighborhoods and
communities has found its way inside the schoolhouse door. However, if we understand what
leads to violence and the types of support that research has shown are effective in
preventing violence, we can make our schools safer.
Research-based practices can help school communities—administrators, teachers,
families, students, support staff, and community members—recognize the warning signs
early, so children can get the help they need before it is too late. This guide presents a
brief summary of the research on violence prevention and intervention and crisis response
in schools. It tells school communities:
What to look for - the early warning signs that relate to violence and
other troubling behaviors.
What to do - the action steps that school communities can take to
prevent violence and other troubling behaviors, to intervene and get help for troubled
children, and to respond to school violence when it occurs.
Sections in this guide include:
Section 1: Introduction. All staff, students, parents, and members of
the community must be part of creating a safe school environment. Schools must have in
place approaches for addressing the needs of all children who have troubling behaviors.
This section describes the rationale for the guide and suggests how it can be used by
school communities to develop a plan of action.
Section 2: Characteristics of a School That Is Safe and Responsive to All
Children. Well functioning schools foster learning, safety, and socially
appropriate behaviors. They have a strong academic focus and support students in achieving
high standards, foster positive relationships between school staff and students, and
promote meaningful parental and community involvement. This section describes
characteristics of schools that support prevention, appropriate intervention, and
effective crisis response.
Section 3: Early Warning Signs. There are early warning signs that,
when viewed in context, can signal a troubled child. Educators and parents and in some
cases, students can use several significant principles to ensure that the early warning
signs are not misinterpreted. This section presents early warning signs, imminent warning
signs, and the principles that ensure these signs will not be misinterpreted. It concludes
with a brief description of using the early warning signs to shape intervention practices.
Section 4: Getting Help for Troubled Children. Effective interventions
for improving the behavior of troubled children are well documented in the research
literature. This section presents research- and expert-based principles that should
provide the foundation for all intervention development. It describes what to do when
intervening early with students who are at risk for behavioral problems, when responding
with intensive interventions for individual children, and when providing a foundation to
prevent and reduce violent behavior.
Section 5: Developing a Prevention and Response Plan. Effective
schools create a violence prevention and response plan and form a team that can ensure it
is implemented. They use approaches and strategies based on research about what works.
This section offers suggestions for developing such plans.
Section 6: Responding to Crisis. Effective and safe schools are well
prepared for any potential crisis or violent act. This section describes what to do when
intervening during a crisis to ensure safety and when responding in the aftermath of
crisis. The principles that underlie effective crisis response are included.
Section 7: Conclusion. This section summarizes the guide.
Section 8: Methodology, Contributors, and Research Support. This guide
synthesizes an extensive knowledge base on violence and violence prevention. This section
describes the rigorous development and review process that was used. It also provides
information about the project's Web site.
A final section lists resources that can be contacted for more information.
The information in this guide is not intended as a comprehensive prevention,
intervention, and response plan - school communities could do everything
recommended and still experience violence. Rather, the intent is to provide school
communities with reliable and practical information about what they can do to be prepared
and to reduce the likelihood of violence.
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