Violence Prevention in Georgia's Rural Public School Systems

ABSTRACT

School superintendents in 60 public school systems in Georgia were surveyed to describe strategies being pursued to prevent school violence and promote a safe learning environment. Results from the present study were compared with results from a survey of superintendents conducted by one of the authors in 1995 to determine the extent of change in school violence prevention strategies. The primacy of safe schools is well recognized today following the shocking multiple student murders of Columbine and Red Lake. Descriptive data analysis suggests that violence prevention policies and procedures implemented in most public school systems in Georgia are deterring students from bringing weapons to school. Whereas superintendents surveyed in 1995 were split on whether school safety concerns were growing or staying at the same level, similar question in 2005 produced a modal response that safety concerns are staying the same. A comparative analysis reveals shifts in the use of technology and human resources, which documents change in superintendents' perceptions over the past decade.

Key Words:

• Prevention
• school violence
• school safety
• educational leaders