Proactive strategies by law enforcement and the relationship to school violence preparedness

It is not known how and to what extent the relationship of teachers receiving training related to school safety will have on the increase or decrease in crime incidents on a school campus. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to see if there was a statistical significance between school violence and teacher training as analyzed through the high schools in a large region of the United States. The theoretical context for this research study is drawn from the social disorganization theory by Shaw and McKay (1969) as far as school violence. The role theory by George Herbert Mead (1934) and later by Kahn, Wolfe, Quinn, Snoek, and Rosenthal (1964) was used to support the teacher's role beyond that of an educator and often acts as a quasi-first responder to critical violent incidents on campus. There have been numerous studies related to school violence or mass killings on a school campus. However, such acts could be considered subsets of school violence. This distinction is based on the fact that teachers must consistently address all types of school violence. Questionnaires were sent to schools throughout the United States. The data was compiled and retrieved from the 2010 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) developed by the National Center for Education Statistics from 948 high schools. The data was applied to three research questions to determine the relationship between teachers trained in school safety and the number of physical attacks, fights, possession of weapons, firearms or explosives on campus. Two additional research questions sought to answer questions related to having security personnel in schools and the number of serious incidents reported to police. The results of the study showed a reduction in school violence when teachers were trained in school violence strategies. A riveting account by Crystal Miller, the 1999 Columbine High School shooting survivor, gives a first-hand account of what occurred during the school shooting, along with insight on how teachers reacted during the catastrophic event. Future studies should look at the aftermath of teachers that were trained in school violence to determine the effectiveness of the training after their involvement in an actual school violence incident.