The protocol approach to school violence©

Abstract

The Protocol Approach to Violence© uses a psychoeducational approach to train school constituencies in a comprehensive strategy to prevent school violence. It was pre‐tested in a single middle school in Springfield, Massachusetts, during the 1999–2000 school year. The program educated the different constituencies in identifying the early warning signs of school violence and in using the protocols to help prevent or reduce school violence. After six months, the number of violent incidents was compared with the number that occurred over the same period during the prior year. The research indicated a violent incident reduction across the board of more than 30%. Based on these findings, the authors hypotheses that the Protocol Approach© can have a positive impact on reducing violent trends and increasing the sense of community in school settings.