Ran across this today.
School violence hits lower grades
Elementary school principals and safety experts say they're seeing more violence and aggression than ever among their youngest students, pointing to what they see as an alarming rise in assaults and threats to classmates and teachers.
''Some of my most violent kids have been in kindergarten, first and second grade,'' an elementary school principal in rural Wisconsin says. ''They simply lose control, and it comes out in extremely violent manners.'' The principal did not want her name used.
Crime rates drop, not assaults
In California, for example, the latest school crime figures show that from 1995 to 2001, rates of vandalism and other offenses dropped among elementary school students, while ''crimes against persons,'' such as assault, nearly doubled.
With few resources to combat the problem -- it's rare that elementary schools have full-time counselors or social workers -- schools often resort to stricter discipline to get the attention of kids and parents.
* In Philadelphia, the first part of this school year brought the suspensions of 22 kindergartners.
* Minneapolis schools have suspended more than 500 kindergartners over the past two school years for fighting, indecent exposure and ''persistent lack of co-operation,'' among other offenses. Statewide, Minnesota schools have suspended nearly 4,000 kindergartners, first- and second- graders, most for fighting, disorderly conduct and the like.
* In Massachusetts, the percentage of suspended students in prekindergarten through third grade more than doubled between 1995 and 2000, while that of suspended high-schoolers dropped in every grade but 12th. High school students still accounted for 56% of all out-of-school suspensions, while the younger students accounted for about 5%.
* In 2001-2002, schools in Greenville, S.C., suspended 132 first-graders, 75 kindergartners and two preschoolers.
Educators blame everything from rising rates of mild disabilities to violent video games to a poor economy.
.......
School violence hits lower grades
Elementary school principals and safety experts say they're seeing more violence and aggression than ever among their youngest students, pointing to what they see as an alarming rise in assaults and threats to classmates and teachers.
''Some of my most violent kids have been in kindergarten, first and second grade,'' an elementary school principal in rural Wisconsin says. ''They simply lose control, and it comes out in extremely violent manners.'' The principal did not want her name used.
Crime rates drop, not assaults
In California, for example, the latest school crime figures show that from 1995 to 2001, rates of vandalism and other offenses dropped among elementary school students, while ''crimes against persons,'' such as assault, nearly doubled.
With few resources to combat the problem -- it's rare that elementary schools have full-time counselors or social workers -- schools often resort to stricter discipline to get the attention of kids and parents.
* In Philadelphia, the first part of this school year brought the suspensions of 22 kindergartners.
* Minneapolis schools have suspended more than 500 kindergartners over the past two school years for fighting, indecent exposure and ''persistent lack of co-operation,'' among other offenses. Statewide, Minnesota schools have suspended nearly 4,000 kindergartners, first- and second- graders, most for fighting, disorderly conduct and the like.
* In Massachusetts, the percentage of suspended students in prekindergarten through third grade more than doubled between 1995 and 2000, while that of suspended high-schoolers dropped in every grade but 12th. High school students still accounted for 56% of all out-of-school suspensions, while the younger students accounted for about 5%.
* In 2001-2002, schools in Greenville, S.C., suspended 132 first-graders, 75 kindergartners and two preschoolers.
Educators blame everything from rising rates of mild disabilities to violent video games to a poor economy.
.......
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