Abstract
Although youth violence rates continue to decrease in the United States, it remains the second leading cause of death for adolescents. Furthermore, school violence remains a sociocultural concern, especially due to increasing media attention. Research consistently indicates that preventing school violence involves measures that go beyond formal protocols. One factor that has emerged from this research is that the quality of relationships between students and teachers, commonly referred to as school connectedness, may have a significant role in preventing school violence. However, there is very little literature that addresses how mental health professionals, such as school counselors, can assist teachers in fostering school connectedness with their students. This article provides a theoretical conceptualization of teacher–student relationship and communication skills that contribute to eventual school violence prevention through the development of school connectedness. The ultimate goal of this theoretical model is to provide conceptual and applied guidance in bridging the gap between research and practice.
Highlights
Youth violence in the United States continues to decline in communities and schools (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2015; Robers, Zhang, Morgan, & MusuGillette, 2015), media coverage of mass homicides has significantly increased public awareness, especially school shootings
A nationally representative sample of United States students in Grades 9 to 12, found that 7.8% of students engaged in a physical fight on school property in the past year, and 4.1% carried a weapon on school property within the past 30 days (CDC, 2016)
Bullying can be considered a form of school violence in that physical and psychological harm can be a result of such behaviors and it is highly correlated with negative school climate and predictive of future violent behaviors (Ericson, 2001)
Summary
Youth violence in the United States continues to decline in communities and schools (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2015; Robers, Zhang, Morgan, & MusuGillette, 2015), media coverage of mass homicides has significantly increased public awareness, especially school shootings. School violence continues to be a significant public health concern in the United States. This sociocultural phenomenon is a concern for schools across the world—for example, Australia, Columbia, Hungary, Israel, Korea, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, Spain (Akiba, LeTendre, Baker, & Goesling, 2002). Seemingly obvious, school violence is considered a sociocultural concern because it has negative impacts ranging from psychological (e.g., posttraumatic stress) to physical (e.g., death) at the individual and systemic levels (Hammond, Haegerich, & Saul, 2009; Hyman, Cohen, & Mahon, 2003; Ludwig & Warren, 2009). Beyond physical well-being, there are many negative social, emotional, and psychological outcomes associated with youth violence; many of which have lasting effects
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