Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2002

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Advisor

Nibaldo Galleguillos

Committee Member

Bruce Brydges

Committee Member

Barbara Packer

Committee Member

Rochelle Green

Keywords

Middle Schools/Violence/Teacher Education/Zero Tolerance/Weapons/Regional Cooperation/High Risk Students/Crisis Intervention

Abstract

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a process for middle school staff to collaborate with local police, fire, emergency medical personnel, and other community emergency services to increase the probability that school staff would appropriately respond to unexpected incidents of violence on the school campus. The issue of school violence remains a constant concern to students, teachers, administrators and other members of the school community. While the chances of being killed at school as the result of a violent incident are relatively remote, the recent tragedies at schools in Moses Lake, Washington; Bethel, Alaska; Pearl, Mississippi; Jonesboro, Arkansas; Springfield, Oregon; Littleton (Columbine), Colorado; and West Paducah, Kentucky are stark reminders that such events do occur. Although each of these schools had violence prevention programs, the collective results of these violent incidents were the deaths of 25 students and two teachers, leaving 50 others injured.

These examples serve as evidence that schools cannot prevent all violence on campus. While the number of such incidents nationwide is relatively low, these “low incident-high impact” incidents are intensified by the deadly precision of the shooter and the wide range media attention that such incidents command. Further, these incidents underscore the need for school personnel to respond in a manner that reduces the potential for further injury and reduces the intensity of the impact.

By the nature of their responsibilities, school staff members are always the “first responders” to a critical incident on campus, therefore they need to be adequately prepared to perform in that capacity. The plan to adequately prepare staff, as well as the supporting training elements included in the applied dissertation were developed in collaboration with local community emergency responders. The successful implementation of the intervention helped school staff and community emergency responders feel more capable in their own roles and responsibilities, as well as more certain of the roles and responsibilities of others.

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