Course Number *: 840-480/680                                                                                                                     Effective: 2003

Course Title: School Violence and Crisis Management
 

15 Character Abbreviation: School Violence

25 Character Abbreviation: School Vio and Crisis Mgt
 

Sponsor: James Larson E-mail Address: larsonj@uwwvax.uww.edu

Department: Psychology College: Letters and Sciences

Co-sponsor: E-mail Address:

Department: College:
 

Other Programs Affected: None

Check if course is to meet any of the following requirements:

X None    Writing    Computer     Diversity    General Ed and Area
 

Contact hours/credits:

Total lab hours: Total lecture hours: 48

Number of credits 3 Total contact hours: 48
 
 

Check if course is repeatable:   X No   Yes (if yes answer the following questions)

• No of times in major No of credits in major
• No of times in degree No of credits in degree

Major Title(s)

Minor Title(s)

Emphasis Title(s)
 
 

I. Course Justification

Historically, schools have been considered safe havens from violence. However, over the past decade -- and most seriously over the past two years ? the incidents of youth violence in the school setting has increased. It is estimated that 270,000 students carry handguns to school one or more times each year (Conoley & Goldstein, 1997) and more than 3 million crimes occur on school property each year (U.S. Department of Justice, 1995). A survey by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (1991) indicated that 11% of U.S. teachers reported being assaulted at school. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance -- United States, 1997 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1998) is a component of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, which periodically measures the prevalence of priority health-risk behaviors among youth and young adults through comparable national, state and local surveys. This survey was conducted during February through May 1997, polling a representative sample of students in grades nine through 12 in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Nationwide: -- 4.0% of students missed at least one day of school during the 30 days preceding the survey because they felt unsafe at school or felt unsafe traveling to or from school. --- 8.5% of students carried a weapon on school property during the 30 days preceding the survey. --- 7.4% of students were threatened or injured with a weapon on school property during the 12 months preceding the survey.

In 1997-1998, 40 students and teachers were killed at their schools (National School Safety Center, 1998), and in April of 1999, the Columbine High School incident galvanized both the American public and the academic and professional communities. The Sate of California has recently enacted legislation requiring that all certificated education personnel receive training in school violence prevention (M. Furlong, personal communication, 1999).

This course is designed for undergraduates and graduate students who have professional and/or scholarly interests in gaining a greater understanding of school violence and crisis management in the public school setting Targeted graduate students in DPI certification or continuing professional development programs will be required to engage in a greater depth of scholarship through additional readings and classroom presentations of an applied nature (see enclosed sample syllabus).

II. Relationship to Program Assessment Objectives

The following are the course objectives:

• Students will understand the distribution, severity, and topography of school violence from a local and national data perspective
• Students will understand the major models for the development and expression of aggressive behavior in children and adolescents
• Students will critically examine the contributions of the home and family learning environments to the development and perpetuation of violent behavior

• Students will critically examine the contributions individual risk factors to the development and perpetuation of violent behavior
• Students will critically examine the contributions of the community and school settings to the development and perpetuation of violent behavior
• Students will understand empirically validated models for the primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of school community violence
• Students will understand the social and individual psychology of crisis and examine models for prevention and management
• Students will understand the personal impact of bully behavior and critically examine models of prevention/intervention

Graduates from the Department of Psychology will be able to:

• demonstrate basic factual knowledge in psychology including...human development, psychological disorders, ...and social process.
• demonstrate knowledge of historical and contemporary theoretical perspectives...
• distinguish between correlation and causation
• apply knowledge of psychological principles to everyday life situations
• explain the meaning and importance of clinically significant findings

• To train students to become competent in serving as consultants to teachers, parents and other personnel in their work setting and prepared to carry out programs of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention
• To train students to become professionals who will act as child advocates and facilitate the optimal best interest of the child in the environments of school, home and community
• To train students to become professional school psychologists who are sensitive to and accepting of human diversity and who are academically prepared for the challenges presented in a pluralistic society
• To train students to become professionals who will not only be effective consumers of others' research, but as a function of their practice, be able to conduct applied research to benefit the children and families whom they serve

III. Budgetary Impact

Available library resources and instructional facilities are adequate. This course will initially be taught by Dr. Larson as part of Continuing Education in summer term or as overload. We have been granted a new tenure track position in School/clinical psychology to be staffed by fall 2000. This increase in FTE will allow us to offer this new course on a more regular basis in the future.

IV Course Description

Advanced undergraduates and graduate students who have professional and/or scholarly interests in gaining a greater understanding of the variables associated violence and crisis management in the public school setting. Emphasis on: Psychological, developmental, and risk correlates of childhood aggression; critical examination of the prevention and intervention models considered most effective and useful in the school setting; in depth understanding crisis prevention and response models.

• Requisites

Graduates: None
 
 

VI. Graduate Requirements

Presentation # 2: Handgun Violence

Presentation # 3: Victims of Violence

(See sample syllabus for expanded description of presentation requirements)
 
 

Texts:

• Goldstein, A. P., & Conoley, J. C. (1997). School violence intervention: A practical handbook. New York: Guilford.
• Poland, S., & McCormick, J. S. (1999). Coping with crisis: Lessons learned. Longmont, CO: Sopris West.
• Supplementary Monograph (available at Copy Cats)

Coie, J. D. et al. (1993). The science of prevention: A conceptual framework and some directions for a national research program. American Psychologist, 48, 1-13-1022.

Eron, L. D., Gentry, J. H., & Schlegel, P. (Eds.) (1994). Reason to hope: A psychological perspective on violence and youth.. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. (Selected chapters)

Kingery, P. (1997). The adolescent violence survey: A psychometric analysis. School Psychology International, 19, 31-47.

Larson, J. D. (1994). Violence prevention in the schools: A review of selected programs and procedures. School Psychology Review, 23, 151-164.

Loeber, R., & Farrington, D. P. (Eds.) (1998). Serious and violent juvenile offenders: Risk factors and successful interventions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage (Selected chapters)

Osofsky, J. D. (1995). The effects of exposure to violence on young children. American Psychologist, 50, 782-788.

Osofsky, J. D. (Ed.) (1997). Children in a violent society. New York: Guilford. (Selected chapters).

Ross, D. M. (1996). Childhood bullying and teasing. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association. (Selected Chapters)

Samples, F, & Aber, L. (1998). Evaluations of school-based violence prevention programs. In D.S. Elliott, B. A. Hamburg, & K. R. Williams (Eds.), Violence in American schools. New York: Cambridge,
 

Course Objectives:

1. Students will understand the distribution, severity, and topography of school violence from a local and national data perspective
2. Students will understand the major models for the development and expression of aggressive behavior in children and adolescents
3. Students will critically examine the contributions of the home and family learning environments to the development and perpetuation of violent behavior
4. Students will critically examine the contributions individual risk factors to the development and perpetuation of violent behavior
5. Students will critically examine the contributions of the community and school settings to the development and perpetuation of violent behavior
6. Students will understand empirically validated models for the primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of school community violence
7. Students will understand the social and individual psychology of crisis and examine models for prevention and management
8. Students will understand the personal impact of bully behavior and critically examine models of prevention/intervention

The University of Wisconsin is dedicated to a safe, supportive, and non-discriminatory learning environment. It is the responsibility of all undergraduate and graduate students to familiarize themselves with university policies regarding Special Accommodation, Misconduct, Religious Beliefs Accommodation, Discrimination and Absence for University Sponsored Events. (For details, please refer to the Undergraduate and Graduate Timetables; the Rights and Responsibilities section of the Undergraduate Bulletin; the Academic Requirements and Policies and the Facilities and Services sections of the Graduate Bulletin; and the Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures [UWS Chapter 14]; and the Student Nonacademic Disciplinary Procedures [UWS Chapter 17])

ATTENDANCE

Attendance at all scheduled class meetings is required. Students who anticipate the need for an absence due to religious observation or university sanctioned event should contact me at least a week in advance. Unanticipated emergencies necessitating absence should be communicated to the instructor at the first opportunity. Multiple absences may be cause for an incomplete or reduced grade.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Every effort will be made to accommodate the learning needs of students with disabilities or those who need special assistance. Individuals who require such accommodations should contact me immediately.
 
 

OUTLINE
 

CLASS	TOPIC	READING
Class overview; Rationale for addressing school violence
	Youth violence statistics: What do the numbers mean?	SVI Chs. 1 & 2
	Internet Sites of Use in this Course
Theoretical and developmental perspectives on aggression in children and youth - I		Suppl., Pt. 2
		(G) APA Ch. 2
	1. Aggression in Humans - Early Conceptualizations
	2. Development of Aggression
	Social learning theory - e.g., Bandura
Theoretical and developmental perspectives on aggression in children and youth - II		Suppl., Pt. 2
		SVI Ch. 15
	1. Development of Aggression (Cont.)
	Social Information Processing - e.g., Dodge
	Coercive Family Process - e.g., Patterson
Risk factors in children: The trajectory to prison		SVI Ch. 12 & 17
	Cultural Issues	Suppl. Pt 1,
	Video: "And the Winner is..."	(G) Coie et al.
Measuring Risk: Screening and Profiling Procedures		(G) Kingery
	1. Existing models of screening for risk (e.g., Adolescent Violence Survey)
	2. Profiling (e.g., Mosaic 2000)
	3. Early Warning/Timely Response - U.S.D.O.E.
Designing a Violence Prevention Program I		(All) Larson
	1. Critical Elements
	(A) Team Formation and Needs Assessment
	(B) Interpreting the Data and Facilitating Change
Designing a Violence Prevention Program II		(All) Samples & Aber
	1. Critical Elements
	(A) Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Prevention
	(B) Empirically Supported Programs
Midterm Exam
Examination of School-Based Programs for Violence Prevention - Primary/Universal		Copy Cats
	Second Step	ICPS
	PATHS Program
	Aggressors, Victims, Bystanders
	**Graduate Presentation #1
Examination of School-Based Programs for Violence Prevention - Secondary/Indicated		Copy Cats
	First Step to Success	Think First
	Anger Coping
	Aggression Replacement Training
	** Graduate Presentation # 2
Crisis Prevention and Management I		Coping :  Introduction, Chapt 1.& 2
	(A) Crisis Preparation
	(B) Immediate Response - Tasks and Responsibilities
Crisis Prevention and Management II		Coping: Paducah Case Study; Chapt. 3 , 4, & 5
	(A) Managing Outsiders
	(B) Processing the Crisis
Crisis Prevention and Management III		Coping: Chapt. 7 & 8
	(A) Addressing Post-Crisis Trauma in Students, Faculty, and Parents
	(B) Lessons from Littleton
	** Graduate Presentation # 3
	Understanding Victims of School Violence	SVI. Chapt 18 (G)Osofsky Articles
	Guest: Kris Seickert, Ed.S. "Treating Victims of Violence"
Special Topic: Bullying and Mean-Spirited Teasing in School I		(All) Ross, Chapt. 2 & 3
	Video: Debra Pepler, Ph.D.
	Intervention Procedures
Bullying and Mean-Spirited Teasing in School II
	Video: Bully Prevention Project
	Intervention Procedures
	Class Wrap-Up
Final Examination

Grading Policy

Each examination will be worth up to 50 points and will be partially short answer and short essay.

Graduate presentations will be worth up to 50 points

Final grade will be determined by dividing total points earned by total possible points

Unexcused absences and/or poor classroom participation may be cause for up to 5 points reduction in earned points at the instructor's discretion -- be here and be involved!

Extra credit: Any individual may earn up to an additional 50 points through approved reaction papers (see below) or other approved alternative project. Earned points will be added to the total possible points, your earned points will be refigured and re-divided for your grade.
 
 

Note: Students who believe that the above assessment procedure will be an inadequate measure of their understanding of the course material may propose an alternative assessment to the instructor for consideration. This should be done prior to the mid-term examination.

GRADUATE STUDENT REQUIREMENTS

On reserve in the library, you will find two articles from separate issues of The Atlantic Monthly magazine:

"The Man Who Counts the Killings" by Scott Stossel is an account of the work of George Gerbner, former dean of the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and current researcher and crusader against violence on television. Did the Saturday morning cartoons make you a more violent individual? Is TV the new religion, preaching a warped picture of the effects of violent behavior? Read and think...

"The Crisis of Public Order" by Adam Walinsky is this former aide to Robert Kennedy's chilling take on his predicted "long descending night" of youth violence. He writes: "What we experienced from 1985 on was a conjunction of two terrible arrivals. One train carried the legacy of the 1970's, the children of the explosion of illegitimacy and paternal abandonment. Crack arrived on the same timetable, and unloaded at the same station."

For either or both:

Bibliography