7 Ways of Preventing Violence among Students

Violence among students can cause adverse effects to students themselves and the institution’s property. While boys may experience beating or bullying, girls may be at risk of sexual assault or other forms of harassment. Learners who may be victims of violence are often traumatized and their self-esteem lowered. The following actions will help prevent violence in your college:

1. Identify alcohol, drug, or other substance abuse problems. Students involved in such vices are the organizers and ring leaders during violent activities in colleges. Preventing any form of drug or substance abuse and mood-altering addictions will ensure peace in your college.
2. Encourage and praise students for helping others in solving problems non-violently. Identity students who act as arbitrators of other students having differences, and those who lead in peaceful discussions. You can have an event to “pay” them. Always advocate for diplomacy.
3. Provide opportunities for students to practice life skills, especially how to solve problems non-violently and to communicate effectively. Organize events like debates, recitation of choral verses and spoken word, and other events that allow interaction of students on social basis. This interaction will ensure peaceful co-existence amongst them.
4. Supervise student’s involvement with media, peer groups and community organizations. Ensure that your students interact with peer groups and community organizations that aid in their emotional growth. Though it could be hard to restrict students’ involvement with media, offering a piece of advice on the media to interact with is of paramount importance.
5. Get help from professionals. Invite well known counselors and peace ambassadors to your college to talk to the students. Such events will help the students to understand importance of peace. You can still celebrate peace icons during such events.
6. Improve communication with your students. Organize for opens forums where students can air their views concerning different issues in the college. However, students must be assured that there will be no intimidation for airing their views. This will ensure that there is peace in the college. Passing communication or grievances through student leaders or department heads has been seen not to yield fruits.
7. Teach appropriate coping mechanisms for dealing with crisis situations. You can invite disaster management organizations to address students on various coping mechanisms. Having drills of crisis situations will help students get the full picture on how to address such situations. Students have been known to be violent in times on disasters and other unfortunate events in higher learning institutions.

You can teach learners how to apply life skills in violence prevention. For instance, life skills can enable learners to:

1. Become a mediator and calm those in involved in violence. This involves self awareness, problem solving, and decision-making, critical thinking, coping with stress, coping with emotions, communication skills and interpersonal relationship skills.
2. Identify and implement peaceful solutions for resolving conflict. This involves decision-making and problem solving skills, communication skills and inter-personal skills.
3. Identify and avoid dangerous situations (critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making skills), evaluate ways to avoid violence that appear to be successful as depicted in the media (critical thinking).

Lack of communication has been seen to be the biggest cause of violence in learning institutions. Being there and open to communication to your students will ensure there is no violence in your school, won’t you?

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