Position paper 3

“Violence in the school is a result of differences outside school. We as counselors can’t do anything about it” Discuss.


Nowadays, the rates of school violence like bullying, gangsterisme, teasing, hazing, physical assault like rape and murder and so on have become a serious problem in many countries. I absolutely disagree with the statements because the role of counselor is to reduce the school violence and how come a counselor cannot do anything. Not all violence in schools happens because of differences outside school. Most of it happens because of several risks factors for example internalizing and externalizing factors. Internalizing factors is anxiety, depression. But, it is always overlook by school personnel. Externalizing behavior refers to delinquent activities and aggression that such as kicking, punching are often learned from observing others. Observing others can be from outside of school and also in schools. So, as a counselor, we should be friendly, do not bias and concern about the problem of students whether they are from difference races that lead them to anxiety and depression. Individual counseling can help them to share their problem with counselor individually and group counseling will offer them to share problem in group to find solutions for that problem. Beside that, counselor can implement such as activities, program and seminar about how to manage stress, anxiety, depression and actually it help them little big from involve in any such of the violence problems. Such activities, program and seminar that will be implementing not only to manage problem but it also instill the cooperation, comfortable feeling among them whether they are from difference races and religion.
As we know, family is the primary sources that influence the development of children. Broken family relationship may easily lead to school violence. Home environment absolutely contribute to school violence for example students who are have physical abuse experience by their parents will bullying other students for revenge. In school, counselor also can become a consultant to parents, teachers, administrators and school staff. So, what a counselor can do is involve all parents from different races, religions and ethnics actively in program like PIBG (Persatuan Ibubapa dan Guru) so that they can know about the development of education, moral, akhlak of their children. So, children will think many times before doing something because they know that their parents are watching and supervise them. In addition, a counselor can handle seminar and program discuss about tips of successful family, techniques to approach teenagers, how to talk to your kids, good parenting style and so on. For all these program or seminar, they can invite the professional in this field.
Research shows that school environment also lead to school violence. Higher population of male students, high ratio of students than teachers, an urban location, a history of high level of disciplinary problems are related to violence in school. In school counselor have to cooperate with other parties for example teachers, administrators and school staff to supervise of violence in school from happens. These entire parties can refers all school violence cases to counselor and then if that case serious, a counselor will refer that case to police. If not, counselor will handle it by using specific techniques of theory that related to counseling. Administrators should report any serious school violence than silence it because fear that case will give bad views to that school. Whereas, they have to think about the effects to majority of students in the future if they are become victim or influenced about that attitudes.
However, the important risk factors that quite difficult for counselor to change which are firstly, biological factors that may be lead them to involve in school violence but it is accepted that genetic plus environment factors have the greatest influence on the later behavior of the children. Secondly, influence from mass media. As we know, mass media is the greatest influence on children. Examples of mass media are the internet, cell phones, violence television and film, video games and music are increasing the likelihood of behavior to be aggressive and violence. Studies shows that youth who exposed to an overwhelming amount of such material may easily became more aggressive and no longer think about its consequences. Thirdly, influence from community environment for example students A is stay in squatter area, in that area there are higher rates the problems of gangsters, prostitutes, murder cases, rape cases and that area also have problem of fighting among one races with another races. Actually, all these environments will influence students A little big. In addition, the neglect from community also can develop into school violence.
In conclusion, school violence is widely acknowledged to be a symptom that will only decrease if the roots of the problem are identified and treated. The attitudes of everybody need to change. The ways students interact with each other and treat each other should be the first and foremost priority, but also the attitudes of teachers, principals and parents need to change. All these parties also have to cooperate to find the solutions to reduce school violence problem. It is not impossible to stop school violence one day.

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