School violence remains a crucial problem, with escalating number of instances of crime and disorder whether fatal or nonfatal. While some schools may be in a bit of a predicament due to extended presence of lethal violence, others may not be subjected to its daily presence and may host only a few possibilities of such instances and to a lesser intensity. Since media broadly speaks about the prevalence of school violence, it has subsequently brought into close attention of the masses, the causes, remedies and variations involved in this mode of violence.

Shedding some light on the semantic spectrum of the term “school violence”, we say that it refers to minor disruptions or in its extreme form, to life-taking violence erupting at schools that can vary both in characteristics and the degree to which they are expressed. School violence encompasses a range of activities such as:

1. Theft

1. Carrying of firearms

1. Physical fights

1. Classroom interference/violation of discipline

1. Bullying

1. Spate of violent thoughts

1. Aggressive/defiant interpersonal relations

1. Banding together of dangerous gangs, drugs and weapons
2. Extreme distractibility among students
3. Predetermined/intentional harm doing or hurting someone’s feelings
4. Exhibition of volcanic anger
5. Homicides
6. Plain threats
7. Sharing plans pertaining to shooting etc. (Olweus, 1993)

Though occurrences of acts of violence to an unacceptably high level may be relatively low, such events are largely unprecedented and cannot escape the attention of the masses, raising the angst and constant suspicion of teachers, students, and public as a whole in its entirety ( Etheridge, 1999). Only a single incidence may be one too many for the school administration. As a consequence, a radical break from school violence has become an urgent requirement of the public and has become the center stage of thought for parents, students and the entire educational structure. Hostility in schools, may it be minor fistfights, sharpening of knives, or employment of threats in order to be able to thread one’s way, is unprecedented and unwelcome. Schools must offer a security to the students, teachers and staff. It is a place where the present or future communities are built and must contribute to a positive and healthy social development of its members (Frude & Gault, 1984).

Before determining the measures that need to be taken against school violence, a subject that calls for immediate attention, it is imperative that one underlines the causes of the same. The most dreaded questions of all that capture the fear of the general lot are that, how wide spread is the potential for violence? Which types of schools are unsafe? Which students are most dangerous? The common factors that run through the very grain of these questions and identified as the prime indicators or the launch pad for school violence are:

• Emotional/behavioral problems that cause feelings of aggression and upsurge of anger
• Being mistreated or bullied in school and shoved off in the lunch line leading to the harnessing of revengeful feelings against those causing hurt
• Family dysfunction including lack of parental guidance and subsequently moral standards, giving way to a total breakdown of communication
• Little or no value of life
• Victimization to physical abuse
• Ease of accessibility to weapons
• Use of drugs such as Ritalin and Prozac that causeimpulsive/psychotic behavior
• Absence of friends or close relations
• Exposure to violence on TV and video games, in which the stronger are the winners. This encourages children to emulate the violent behavior in real life
• Failure at school in the shape of poor grades paving way for low self-esteem
• Desire to derive pleasure from revengeful proceedings
• Search for means to alleviate stress
• Socio-cultural pressure to act tough, prevalent among the class of boys in particular (Shaw , 2002)

Considering the a-fore mentioned causes of school violence one can determine the unavoidable fallibility of the human mind that is revealed through one’s actions. Although drifting with time, there is an evolution of the causes attached to violence. Once put into perspective the reasons may be versatile social structure, cultural wars and overwhelming student crowds.

The result of uncontrolled school violence leaves an ever-lasting impact on the lives of those falling victims to it. The prey can undergo the unending progress of psychiatric problems encompassing depression, frustration and fear. A very simple instance of which is the case where students believe restrooms are unsafe, and some have persistent health problems because they are afraid to use restrooms. Coming to school requires that they should feel safe, which is their constitutional right. The impact on teachers and staff is the acceleration of distorted communication between them and the students. Also, the shift in student attitudes may lead to violent or aggressive behaviors and mistrust towards the mentors. This puts an extra burden on the shoulders of the teachers and staff who have lesser chances to relax and maintain focus on teaching, as they have to face the ever challenging and really rowdy classes.

Regarding education, school violence certainly has consequences attached to it. Violence, anywhere whatsoever, is a problem and is further elevated when it concerns schools, because violent behavior and actions take away from the educational process Thus giving a bad name to the school and weakening of its educational system and underlying policies. This also leads to greater drop out rates than ever. Regardless of how good the teachers or curriculum are, violence makes it difficult for students to learn and decelerates their performance both at home and school. We can come to grips with the repercussions of school violence by adhering to several preventive measures depending on the school environment, the degree of threat to the school’s integrity and the need for improvement. There is no one program, that you can take up and advocate its efficacy in a struggle to resolve violence. If all schools were the same, demographically, with similar environments and violence rates in the surrounding community, with similar standards of imparting education and implementing similar policies, with typical financial constraints, then one could loudly proclaim that a single program or preventive program suits all schools. But its likely not the case.

Among the diverse prevention programs currently being employed, many lay emphasis on the treatment of individuals that are recommended by teachers or other observant. A student maintains that “Communication flows readily through direct personal relations among members of the school community. In uncontrolled school environments, this personalism tends to break down which, in turn, increases the likelihood of mis-communication and distrust, a condition, which characterized many Chicago schools” (Klonsky, 2004) . While the rest focus on individuals along with the variables involved including family members, peers or others who might be of any help.

Some of the preventive measures taken by the school authorities are as mentioned below:

• Education programs (schools may add curricula to teach students anger mismanagement and how to resolve interpersonal conflicts)
• Tell students about the costs and aftermath of violence to their social structure (financial, social, and physical). Explain to them, the state's criminal justice systems and what happens to those who are arrested because they've been involved in violence
• Installing metal detectors, random locker and bag checks
• Parents must hold daily conversations with their children regularly referring to all kinds of subjects and activities concerned.
• Set proverbial limits on inconsistent attitudes. Lay down the principles of the house in advance. Give punishments and grant rewards in advance, too.
• Peer counseling (helps students become more in sync to the signs that a fellow student is exhibiting violent behavior)
• Guidance counselor or teacher (formation of parent-teacher association in order to keep both the actors abreast of the situation at hand and encourage active involvement)
• School policies that have zero tolerance regarding weapons and bullying
• The law enforcements must offer to train teachers, staff, and students in matters of safety.
• They must also promote contribution on the part of students. For these purposes Work with community groups to put positive after-school activities in place throughout the community and for all ages
  

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Most of the measures adapted by the authorities concerned are generally regarded as symbols of success in spite of the fact that there is no firmly definite proof of their effectiveness. To boot, while majority of the schools are trying to make cutbacks on the budgets, what is required of them is to spend more fortune on the remedies. The scarce resources and extended absences of concrete evidence hence cause additional snags to the whole possibility of advancement ( McGoey, 2004) .

However several conventional anti-violence measures, mostly those related to self-discipline and punishment, have been limited at public schools judicially (through constitutional interpretation). It is so because the government must provide protection against the manipulation of its power in the hands of the authority. These safeguards involve notice and hearing requirements and other procedural roadblocks to punishment. What requires greater preference and attention is the encouragement, improvement and experimentation of such anti-violence measures in schools through decentralization and delegation.

Jody Johnston Pawel, a licensed social worker, an author and a second-generation parent educator says: “When each of us makes a commitment to take action and be part of the solution, our children can get back to the business of getting an education in school, instead of fearing for their lives. Together, we can help them regain a sense of innocence, security, and hope for the future that is every child's right” ( Pawel ,, 1999).

The battle against school violence is not a chess game and there ought to be many snags on which the concerted efforts of those involved may stumble. But that should not hinder the potential for reaching a mutually formulated solution. Opportunities are infinite when efforts are elevated!