Factors contributing to school violence are complex and numerous. America's children are exposed to a steady diet of physical and verbal violence that begins early and continues on throughout their lives. For example, children watch an average of 8,000 murders and 100,000 other violent acts on television before finishing high school. Violent acts do not just start happening in high school. Nearly eight percent of elementary schools have reported discipline problems.
Drugs and alcohol are also a major contributor to school violence. Although reports do indicate that the use of heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and crack is down among students, the consumption of alcohol is not. Alcohol is the number one drug used by teenagers and young adults.
Bad parenting practices are also a major contributor to school violence. In 1992, nearly 1.9 million cases of child abuse were reported. It is found that children who are abused are more likely to be violent to themselves and other people. Bad parenting practices do not only mean child abuse. The simple fact that is that more and more parents are working outside of their homes. Nearly thirty-six percent of students say lack of parental supervision contributes to violence in schools. Students are now aware of this and know it is hard for school officials to contact their parents. Although when parents are contacted, they often refuse to respond, often blaming the school or the teachers.
When a violent act in a school occurs, there is most likely a victim. Every hour of each day of a school year, nine hundred teachers are threatened, and nearly forty percent of teachers are physically attacked on school grounds. Students most likely to be victims are students who have just recently moved to a new school, or students from racial or ethnic groups that are minorities within the school are most likely to be physically assaulted. About twenty-eight percent of school violence is of racial or ethnic nature.
