Student-level interventions to address violence in schools
MY PREVIOUS article triggered a healthy discussion, including critical questions related to the role of the students and their parents. In this article, I focus on the student-level interventions proposed by my colleague Damion Crawford in his letter to the inmister of education and youth.
Listening to the minister as she listed interventions to reduce violence in schools during her Sectoral Debate presentation last week, one would be tempted to conclude that everything is good. It is difficult not to marvel at the list of interventions, including the school safety and security policy, choolwide Positive Behaviour Intervention support (SWPBIS), health and family life education, school resource officers, deans of discipline, parenting education as part of restorative practice training, plus clubs, societies, and uniformed groups.
The weakness with having all of these interventions is that they don’t come together as one and lack of clarity as to what is going to make the difference. Sometimes they are in the same school but not connected. Great pieces implemented in a few schools but not brought together in a holistic way will not result in the desired change. The interventions must complement each other and add value, be effectively implemented, and monitored to gauge effectiveness.
Take SWPBIS, which the minister says is being implemented in 509 schools. It began in 2014, and so 10 years later, the minister cannot say if it is working or not. Yet from as early as 2020, schools have complained about SWPBIS, saying it lacks buy-in from leadership, and there is an absence of resources to support implementation.
So as we explore the options for student-level intervention, the focus is on evidence-based interventions that can be implemented in an integrated way and monitored easily. A major aspect of what is required is clarity on how the interventions are aligned to change behaviour.
DISCIPLINED STUDENTS
The aim is to ensure that students are disciplined. Such a student exercises self-control, exhibits high self-esteem, and understands and accepts consequences of actions. Getting there requires the system to work in a coordinated way to support the physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and moral growth of the child.
Yes, discipline is developmental. The best systems – think Finland, Sweden, and so on - begin with understanding the child and focusing on the child’s growth and development from baby to teenager. Jamaica had a similar vision. That is in part what gave rise to Jamaica’s Child Health and development passport, which tracks progress as the child grows. Schools can use this passport along with other assessments to understand how a child is progressing.
Schools should know the children who are at risk of getting into trouble of one kind or the other. Their homes should be visited regularly by school personnel and their access to social services monitored.
CATCH THEM DOING GOOD
Consider all the times we call on or correct the student who is misbehaving. Over and over we tell them “Sit, behave, focus, don’t let me send you to the dean of discipline”, and on and on it goes. The ones doing fine get little attention, and even when the troublemaker does the right thing, it is not recognised. It is human nature, focus on what needs to be fixed.
The opposite is required in trying to shift behaviour – catch them doing good. This school of thought says the behaviour we desire is the one we should call attention to and reward appropriately. These rewards range from a word of encouragement, a physical gift such as a candy or a pencil, to recognition at school gatherings or other events. This can be done throughout the school day and by all members of the school community.
SCHOOL, THE PLACE TO BE
As a policy, resourced and monitored by the State, every student at primary and secondary school must be involved in a co-curricular activity each term. I remember joining Speech Club at Ferncourt High in 10th grade My world changed
All students must have ready access to a range of interventions – weekend classes and camps, summer programmse, service clubs, uniformed groups, sports, and games. All must have a consistent focus on teaching and modelling desired values. While focused on behaviour modification and formation, it should be a fun and creative opportunity for students to learn.
No excuses. If a student can’t find the activity of interest to them, schools should allow them to form an organisation to achieve same. In fact, this is a great way to engage students as creators change as well as apply what they learn about citizenship and broader civic responsibility. Through these structures, students, along with their teachers, can create a range of activities designed to bring parents and community members into the school.
A TRUSTED GUIDE
One of the most effective factors in a child’s development is having someone who is unconditionally committed to their development, someone who will have their back no matter what.
An effective way to do this is through mentorship, one-to-one supplemented by structured group activities. This requires not only the engagement of the school personnel, but also the community.
Imagine every child with a meaningful connection to another adult. It would offset the absence of parents and supplement where they do exist. Major mentorship programmes like Big Brother/Big Sister have proven to have significant positive effect on youth, especially the most vulnerable.
FROM DETENTION TO REFLECTION
With all of the strategies set out above and those in the system, some students will still misbehave. A common response in our schools is detention.
The existing approach to student detention is focused on punishment. In most schools, detention feels like jail time. Even the language is borrowed from the prison system and the practice is, at best, a waste of time for student and school.
Yet, done right, detention can help improve behaviour. When a student does something that requires a detention, the parent or guardian should be notified. A discussion on the infraction and the corrective action should follow and should include the counsellor and the mentor. This link to home and other support services is critical to helping the child and all concerned and helps ensure follow-up from all sides.
We must adopt an effectively coordinated and supported approach that is focused on positive discipline and based on an understanding of the overall development trajectory of the child. It requires strong parental support and characterforming activities and ensuring that corrective actions are developmental.