This Web site is a component of the SAMHSA Health Information Network

This Site Mental Health at HHS All Mental Health

Publications Related Links Resources Youth Violence Homepage  CMHS Programs:   Go to... Children's Campaign Community Support Emergency Services Financing HIV/AIDS Homelessness Managing Anxiety Mental Health Statistics Protection & Advocacy Special Programs State Planning Traumatic Events Suicide Prevention Programs Homepage  CMHS Activities:   Go to... 15+ School Violence Stigma Suicide Prevention Surgeon General

printer friendly page e-mail this page bookmark this page shopping cart  current or new account

This Web site is a component of the SAMHSA Health Information Network.

The Role of Schools

Given the right circumstances, a school can create a "coherent environment so potent that for at least six hours a day it can override almost everything else in the lives of children.

-- Ron Edmonds, "The Grandaddy of School Effectiveness Research"
Quoted by Benard (1992)

Schools are particularly well-positioned to foster healthy development and help prevent youth violence by promoting prosocial, cooperative behavior and a culture of learning. Effective prevention, intervention, and crisis response strategies operate best in schools that do so. Characteristics of schools that are safe and responsive to all children are discussed in detail in Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe School (U.S. Department of Education, 1998). These schools:

• Focus on academic achievement;
• Involve families in meaningful ways;
• Develop links to the community;
• Emphasize positive relationships among students and staff;
• Discuss safety issues openly;
• Treat students with equal respect;
• Create ways for students to share their concerns;
• Help children feel safe expressing their feelings;
• Have a system in place for referring children suspected of being abused or neglected;
• Offer extended day care programs for children;
• Promote good citizenship and character;
• Identify problems and assess progress toward solutions; and
• Support students in making the transition to adult life and the workplace.

The full text of this public domain publication is available at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/gtss.html

Ethnic-Minority and Cultural Issues

To understand the connection between ethnicity and violence, one must first understand the connection between ethnicity and poverty. Repeatedly, researchers from different fields "have firmly established that poverty and its contextual life circumstances are major determinants of violence. Violence is most prevalent among the poor, regardless of race" (American Psychological Association, 1993, p. 23). In 1996, one out of every five children in the United States (14.5 million) lived in poverty. The percentages of children growing up in poverty, by ethnic group, are shown in Table 2. (Health U.S., 1998).

Table 2
Ethnicity of Children Growing Up in Poverty

When most immigrants were poor white people, rates of violence among them were very high. In all ethnic groups, rates of violence are highest for boys and men at the lowest economic level. In comparisons of people at the same economic level, few differences are found among racial groups (American Psychological Association, 1993, p. 23).

The contextual factors associated with poverty may be more significant in generating violent behavior than is lack of money per se. Poor people are segregated from the mainstream of American society and many see little opportunity to obtain even the basic necessities of life. The consumer culture portrayed by the media only heightens one’s sense of deprivation. Even in good times, unemployment rates are highest among the poor, especially among poor African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans. Unemployment interferes with family stability, damages self-esteem, and leads to neighborhood instability as people move elsewhere in search of jobs and affordable housing. Moving, in turn, disconnects people from their support systems and increases their sense of isolation.

In addition to poverty and its contextual factors, ethnic minority youth must deal with prejudice and discrimination -– as must other minorities, including gays, lesbians, and persons with disabilities. Prejudice and discrimination harm people economically and psychologically, damage self-confidence and self-esteem, and "lay a foundation for anger, discontent, and violence" (American Psychological Association, 1993, p. 25). When ethnic minority youth have few pathways to participation in mainstream American culture, the stage is set for violence.

It is important to remember that most ethnic minority youth growing up with the stresses of poverty, lack of opportunity, discrimination, family disruption, and community breakdown do not engage in violent behavior. Major protective factors in many minority groups are the values of communalism, family, and group harmony, all of which deter violent behavior by increasing the youth’s social supports both inside and outside the family. Yet another protective factor is the strong religious orientation prevalent among many ethnic minority groups. In addition, strengthening the young person’s appreciation of his cultural heritage is likely to promote healthy development, especially if the mainstream culture generates negative messages about ethnic minority cultures.

Any intervention to enhance resilience and prevent violence absolutely must be compatible with the values, norms, and life circumstance of the ethnic group it is targeting. It must also be sensitive to the fact that ethnic minorities must negotiate simultaneously the realm of the indigenous ethnic culture that embodies the values of the original homeland, the realm of the minority culture in the U.S., and the realm of the mainstream culture. Not surprisingly, potential conflicts between values in the dominant American culture and those of ethnic minority cultures abound. The dominant American culture places value on individuality, which may conflict with the African-American emphasis on communalism, with the Hispanic, Asian, and Pacific Island American emphasis on family harmony, and with the Native American value of cooperation within the group. Assuring that interventions are based on the appropriate cultural values will help promote healthy development and resilience, protect against harsh and stressful life conditions, and prevent violence among our ethnic minority youth.

Table of Contents | Previous | Next