| This study examines knowledge and practice of Ohio school administrators regarding student-on-student violence and the law. The lack of general legal knowledge among school administrators, the frequency and/or severity of violence in schools, the concern for broad effective violence prevention programs, and the possibility of school liability for infringement of students' constitutional rights or negligent supervision of students make an examination of school administrators' knowledge of the law relating to student violence important and urgent.; This document reviews the broad body of violence and violence prevention literature, culminating in this characterization of prevention practices: reactive-punitive; reactive-educational; proactive-punitive; and proactive-educational. The document also contains an extensive review of constitutional, tort, and statutory law (both state and federal) relating to student violence.; The dependent variables were knowledge of the law regarding student violence; school administrator experience with student violence; and school administrator practice in violence prevention. A random sample of 500 administrators was selected, stratified on two independent variables: administrative role (superintendent, high school principal, middle school principal, elementary school principal), and school district type (large city, small city, suburban, rural); 224 usable questionnaires were returned. The mean knowledge was 25.23, out of 40.; The 4 x 4 ANOVA on legal knowledge resulted in a main effect for administrative role, but no significant interaction effect, and no significant main effect for school district type. Elementary schools scored significantly lower than high school and middle school principals.; Participants rated fifteen types of violence, on a six-point scale, from "very frequently" to "never." High school, middle school, and large city administrators reported the highest rates of violence. Overall, most groups agreed on the most and least frequent. Verbal threats, bullying, theft, and peer sexual harassment were most frequent. Weapon injury, weapon threat, weapon possession, and hazing were least frequent.; Participants read a list of violence prevention policies and practices and checked the ones their school(s) had implemented. Results revealed a wide variety of policies: student codes of conduct, particularized or random searches, dress codes, sexual harassment policies, peer mediation, school-business partnerships, and multicultural education. Less popular policies overall were more popular in large cities: school uniforms, police presence, zero tolerance policies, and metal detectors. |
