Campus Violence and Policies of Primary and Secondary Schools in Michigan
It is pertinent to note that violence has evolved from just targeting students. It could sometimes involve school staff and even the school administration. The issue of violence and disciplines are often addressed as a unit, but there should be different ways of dealing with both cases because more often than not, violence often overtakes disciplines issues and needs further investigations and probing (School Safety and Violence, 2016). Acts of violence are often common, and they could occur repeatedly. Despite the severity of violence, school administrators often ignore them, in some cases, it often goes unreported, hence, increasing the chances of it repeating itself, and this time, it affects several students in the process or even the entire learning institutions. Studies have shown that even though campus violence activities are more organized most of the time the go untraced, the consequences of the outcomes are often intense to both the students and the entire institution (Student Threats and Violence in Schools, 2016).
The state of Michigan has developed and implemented various policies that ensure that they minimize the occurrence of school violence in campus, secondary and primary schools (Bath Michigan School Bombing, 2015). Some of the policies include the Model Anti-Bullying Policy that was established by the State Board of Education to minimize bullying in Michigan schools by giving the School governing bodies the jurisdiction to develop the anti-bullying policy to minimize bullying in schools (Lambert, 2013). The cyber bullying cases are addressed in Michigan Law section 380 part 1310b that requires the school district or even the school board of directors to adopt and implement a policy prohibiting bullying in schools. The same law on section 380 part 1300b requires the board of each school to develop and implement written policy on sexual harassment that prohibits sexual acts in schools and penalties to such acts (Lambert, 2013). The state of Michigan also has several bodies that deal with learning institutions violence, for instance, the Center for Prevention of School Violence that was established in 1993 and its mandate is to serve as points of contacts for dealing with school violence activities. Others include the Center for the Research and Prevention of Violence, Hamilton Fish Institute among other bodies(Lambert, 2013).
Background
Michigan is home to the famous Bath School disaster that took place in May 1927, in Bath Township that claimed the lives of thirty-eight elementary school children, six adults and it injured fifty-eight others (Bath, Michigan, School Bombing, 2015). The Michigan school bombing disaster was a series of violence attacks that involved Kehoe, who murdered his wife and firebombed his ranch that caused a major blast in Bath Consolidated School using his truck before he committed suicide. That mass murder was the deadliest event in history that ever happened in any American school. His plans for exploding the schools had been planned much earlier when he was facing domestic issues (Bath, Michigan, School Bombing, 2015). Kehoe used dynamite to blow the school and him claiming lives of several students, teachers, and school administrators.
The Bath Disaster was only the beginning of a series of school violence cases that have taken place since the beginning of the 20th century (Lambert, 2013). It is approximated that a quarter of deaths of individuals between the ages of 10-24 years is mainly classified as either homicides or suicides, and it is known to be the third and fourth largest cause of deaths in the age group. The overall crime rates in the United States have been contributed and influenced by school violence in the past years. A study that was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) show devastating reports (Lambert, 2013). It estimates that over one million arrests that had been conducted by the police involved individuals less than the age of eighteen years. The same report showed that over fifty-three thousand arrests involved the adolescents that were involved in crimes (Lambert, 2013). Though in the year 1999 to 2008, the violent crimes committed by the same population had reduced by over eight percent, it is feared that the contribution of social media might worsen the situation.
In Michigan schools alone, studies have shown that there were over five thousand cases of physical violence and assault, over three thousand sexual assaults, over five thousand cases of larcenies among students in various learning institutions(Pearce, 2016). The Federal Bureau of Investigations showed that Michigan alone scored frequency of 3.5 in an occurrence of crimes such as murders, rapes, robberies, and assaults. Six hundred and seventy weapons were found within the school properties and close to two hundred and forty bomb threats (Guns in Schools Policy Summary, 2016). In essence, there were over one thousand two hundred cases of vandalism and over the three-hundred-thousand-dollar worth of property damage in schools because of violence. Reports also show the increased use of drugs and alcohol in schools hence increasing crime rates. The reported suicide attempts in schools have recorded thirty-two confirmed cases.
Empirical research conducted by the Centers for Disease control, in the rest of the United States shows that there are declines in homicide rates among the youth, including a decline in physical fighting and carrying guns to school as per the survey carried out in 2003. The studies carried out by a similar organization in 2008 showed that still, about eight percent of students have experienced a form of threat or violence by use of either a gun or a knife within the school property (Data and Statistics School Violence Youth, 2016). Upon carrying out the survey, reports from other studies showed that at least twelve percent of students had engaged in a physical crime within the school premises either once or several times. Close to twenty-seven percent of the student also reported that their property had been stolen either once or several times from their lockers.
The survey that was also carried out by the CDC also showed that out of the 177 homicide cases carried out in schools, eighty for percent involved use of a gun. Other instances included reports from ten high school students being threatened with a gun or a knife in 2002 (Data and Statistics School Violence Youth, 2016). The CDC also indicated that from July 1996 to June 2006, the rates of school-associated homicides had decreased, but it stabilized on wards after the reports that one hundred and sixteen students had been killed in one hundred and nine school-associated homicide cases (Data and Statistics School Violence Youth, 2016). Reports from 2008 also indicate that close to fifteen percent of deaths of individuals, aged between 5-18 is due to homicide cases, and it has been noted that it is the second leading cause of death in this age group.
The victims also experience psychological problems that might hinder their abilities to concentrate, create close attachments with friends in school, and harm the cognitive and intellectual ability especially among the children or even psychological functioning of the victim (Applying Behavior Analysis to School Violence, 2016). Continued exposure to violence may also create a sense of insecurity among students and pupils, hence, affecting the academic functioning in the process. It is also noted that school violence often increases absenteeism in schools, hence, affecting the overall academic performance of a student in school. Studies have shown that school violence has a direct impact on the quality of education that is offered in any institution of learning. That is because violence often causes disruptions to the learning schedules, sports events and it increases rates of transfer outs among the students.
Campus violence has an impact not only on the victim but also on the entire staff of that institution. It often destroys personal well-being, and it affects the students, staff, and the entire faculty in some ways for instance: victimization can affect psychological, physical, social, academic, and academic behavior negatively of both the student and the faculty (Michigan State University, 2016). Students may also decide to leave college temporary or permanent in the process, thus compromising their academic success. The victims in campuses often have trouble in concentrating, forming close social relationships, studying, or even attending classes due to fear of being proximal to the gang dens or worse being attacked by the perpetrator (Michigan State University Libraries, 2016). The campus students and faculty often face these kinds of difficulty, and it is so hard for them to adapt again to their normal lives once such violence has occurred.
Research
In the study, the aim will be to conduct, and identify school violence that results from social media sites such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram among other social media pages. We cannot refute that school violence is taking a different direction from the way it was initially (Student Threats and Violence in Schools, 2016). Students have found other ways of assaulting others and organizing crime through social media. Students often face assaults from these social sites, and the consequences of school social media violence have been increasing rampantly (School, 2016). The area of study is unique because few studies have been done on them, and the social violence is some of the widely reported cases that go silent due to shame and stigmatization that comes along with them.
Research Questions
What is the most popular social media site where a student is likely to face violence and assaults?
What is the most common type of violence student face via social media?
How is school violence organized via social media?
Who are the most affected individuals of crimes associated with social media?
What are the consequences of crimes that are carried out via social media to the victim and the perpetrator?
Methods and Analysis
The study employed several methods to collect data that was used to draw conclusions on school violence that was carried out via social media in schools. The methods employed would collect data frequency of occurrence, the most affected group, the consequences of online crimes, and the site, which is popularly used to carry out violence and assaults and the level of organization of social crimes.
The study participants were drawn from the University of Michigan that harbors a total number of 28,395 undergraduate students, East Lancing High School, and MacDonald Middle School. These schools were selected to ensure that it met the primary objective of the study. To ensure that the participants were ready for the study, an email was sent to the schools inviting them to participate in the study. An informed consent note was also written to ensure that students participated in the study out of free will.
Questioners were then administered to the study participants upon signing of the informed consent. We gave closed ended to questions to limit complexity to picking written information. The questions were simple and could be understood by individuals at all stages. Open group discussions were also conducted with the study participants to gain more insights on the issue. The questions that were developed for open group discussions were omitted from the questionnaire. However, the information collected was only used in discussions and drawing conclusions.
Results
The study showed surprising but also alarming results after analysis of the data collected. The majority of the students owned cell phones that had access to the internet and at least one of the social media page. A majority of the participants also accessed Facebook more than Twitter, Instagram or WhatsApp. Very few students used other sites such as Imo and Flickr. All the study participants were members of one or two major social sites and reported to access the site at least once a day. All the study participants had accounts with Facebook. The least popular site that was accessed by the users was Twitter.
The participants reported that they had at least faced a form of violence via social media. The users of the social media web pages also reported having had their information accessed by a schoolmate at least once especially when they leave their laptops and phones on without signing out. The participants also reported that they had faced a form of the assault online by a schoolmate. The majority of female participants also reported that they had faced a form of assault via social media through leakage of private information. In addition, the majority of participants reported that they had been assaulted online and threatened by individuals that had different motives with them.
The most affected group of social media violence was women because they faced social challenges interacting with people they like. The teenager's ages between 12-15 years reported the least cases of social media associated crimes. Few participants, however, reported not having any clue of what happens to the individuals that perpetrated violence online because such cases were normally ignored and un-discussed in the schools.
Discussions
The society must also learn to interact with young people without discriminating them because it is evident that young people often seek refuge from social media friends, and they disclose even the darkest secrets to them (Rocque, 2012). These secrets are then used against them eventually through assaults and violence. The parents should establish close social ties with their children to ensure that they experience total care and love from them. The teachers and professors in the learning institutions must always guide students on how to go about social media pages.
Rocque asserts that the government must also look deeply into the matter and strengthen reporting systems of reporting for social media crimes because apparently, only social institutions that are privately owned have established that docket (2012). There is more to research about on this issue because we have hardly scratched the ground on this issue.
In conclusion, school violence affects every individual in the society because it not only disrupts piece but also, it disrupts our social systems in our society. It is the role of every individual to ensure that there is peace in the environment one lives in; thus, it is essential for them to ensure that it is achieved. We expect so much from the government, yet there is so much we can do it ourselves. Parents, for instance, should instill morals to their children by teaching them good behavior and how to conduct oneself. Unfortunately, the economy has left parents working almost 16 hours a day leaving their children to grow in the hands of a nanny or by themselves. When they do so, children seek satisfaction from wrong people in social media and school friends who take advantage of their vulnerability to assault them.
References
Applying Behavior Analysis to School Violence and Discipline Problems: School-Wide Positive Behavior Support. (2016). Pbis.org. Retrieved 18 April 2016, from https://www.pbis.org/resource/8/applying-behavior-analysis-to-school-violence-and-discipline-problems-school-wide-positive-behavior-support
Bath, Michigan, School Bombing - Criminal Justice - IresearchNet. (2015).Criminal Justice. Retrieved 18 April 2016, from http://criminal-justice.iresearchnet.com/crime/school-violence/bath-michigan-school-bombing/
Data and Statistics|School Violence|Youth Violence|Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDC. (2016). Cdc.gov. Retrieved 18 April 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/schoolviolence/data_stats.html
Guns in Schools Policy Summary. (2016). Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Retrieved 18 April 2016, from http://smartgunlaws.org/guns-in-schools-policy-summary/
Lambert, R. (2013). VIOLENCE Patterns in Deadly Incidents and Mass Threat in U.S. K-12 Schools, 1974-2013. http://www.ruraledu.org/. Retrieved 18 April 2016, from http://www.ruraledu.org/user_uploads/file/school-violence-report-2013-lowres.pdf
Michigan State University Libraries - Criminal Justice Resources : School Safety and Violence. (2016). Staff.lib.msu.edu. Retrieved 18 April 2016, from http://staff.lib.msu.edu/harris23/crimjust/school.htm
Pearce, J. (2016). Healthy Schools. Nasbe.org. Retrieved 18 April 2016, from http://www.nasbe.org/healthy_schools/hs/bytopics.php?topicid=3131
Rocque, M. (2012). Exploring school rampage shootings: Research, theory, and policy. The Social Science Journal, 49(02115), 304–313. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soscij.2011.11.001
