Violence in Schools: Cross-National and Cross-Cultural Perspectives

During the 1940s, teachers were certain they had some grievous complaints about students’ behavior in school. Among these were excessive noise, littering, and gum chewing. More recently, teachers’ concerns have taken on a far more dire tone. Today, their focus is on the rape, robbery, and substance abuse incidents that occur in alarming numbers in their workplaces.

In recent years, the news on violent crime in our schools has often been devastating. And although school officials have begun...