Take on the impact of violence

Attempts to remove violence and focus on teaching don't create safety or an environment that supports learning. The challenge is to identify what might make a difference. I asked every group of students and each individual student I spoke to what they thought might support learning.

Build community and talk about violence

As raised earlier, one essential challenge seems to be to find ways to break the silence about violence and its impact on learning without asking students to speak about their own experiences. They may not want to disclose and to focus directly on memories of violence may increase their pain. Many students suggested that assemblies, classes and courses on issues of violence would be extremely valuable, but some cautioned that if information was given on the impacts of violence on learning then some students would have "ammunition" to taunt others. For instance, if a student is having trouble listening, others could accuse him or her of having experienced violence. Although I would hope that as silences are broken the power of such taunts might be decreased, it is important to recognize this danger. Student advisory groups would be invaluable in helping schools to explore the fine line of programming that would support and not endanger students experiencing violence.

Alongside the work of naming violence as "ordinary but not okay," community building work is essential if the school is to become a place where there is less victimization of others and more possibilities for supportive interactions. While some educational programs give this a lower priority and stress the narrow concept of teaching the curriculum, others do believe in the importance of building community. In times of shortages this may be harder, though more vital, to keep in view.