School Violence Among Culturally Diverse Populations: Sociocultural and Institutional Considerations

Abstract

The incidence of violence reflects a disproportionate representation of ethnic and racial minorities, especially African-Americans and Latinos, as both victims and victimizers. When these statistics are placed in the context of social, economic, and cultural factors associated with violence, a more revealing picture emerges — one that places violence in a social and economic context suggesting relationships between violence and such factors as poverty, lack of opportunity, and discrimination. A greater sensitivity and understanding of cultural diversity, coupled with knowledge of the cultures represented in our society, will speed development of culturally appropriate strategies for violence prevention. Consequently, a significant percentage of the acts of violence in schools are precipitated by the lack of cultural sensitivity and the limited awareness of cultural differences. A paradigm for understanding cultures in the context of American society is presented in order to help school psychologists develop effective violence prevention strategies.

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Notes on contributors

Marcel Soriano

Marcel Soriano is a professor in the School of Education, Division of Administration and Counseling at California State University, Los Angeles. He is the project director of Mission Possible and a member of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing School Violence Advisory Panel.

Fernando I. Soriano

Fernando Soriano is a visiting scholar in the Department of Psychology/School of Education at Stanford University. He is a member of the American Psychological Association Youth Violence Task Force.

Evelia Jimenez

Evelia Jimenez is a doctoral student completing her studies at Stanford University.